


BLING

by sbyte



Category: No Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-18 03:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbyte/pseuds/sbyte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beta: Chloe_Amethyst</p><p>Glorfindel sees something, but knows not what. He makes a few awkward attempts to find out, and Lord Elrond intervenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shine for Me

 

“You know what to do with it?” asked Erestor.

“Yes, it will be taken care of before day’s end.”

Erestor handed a large file to the soldier, and then watched him take his leave. He then walked into Lord Elrond’s office, shut the door and said, “It is done.”  


  
Later that day, in an office across the courtyard, a young elf approached the legendary Captain of the Guard.

“Glorfindel, do you have a moment, sir?”

Normally, Glorfindel would have answered with a brusque ‘NO’, but Leihon’s presence beside the young elf piqued his curiosity. Although Leihon was his second in command, he was something of a mystery. He was an outstanding warrior, and many were his admirers among the guard. However, he did not seem to have much of a social life. If he had a vice, Glorfindel didn’t know it. There had to be more to the elf than met the eye.

Glorfindel put his quill down and answered, “Only just. What do you need soldier?”

The elf looked slightly embarrassed. “Sir, I am tasked with going through our files, and drawing up the annual physical fitness evaluation and training schedule for non-military citizens of Imladris.”

Glorfindel began, “That can be a boring duty assignment for a young elf. However, I hope that you aren’t here to ask for reassignment, because if you are...”

“No sir! This file was pushed to the back of the archived files and...”

Cocking an eyebrow, Glorfindel asked, “Why are you looking through files from past year’s exams?”

“I was looking through the older files in an effort to be thorough, sir,” answered the young soldier. Leihon looked down and smiled at the young elf’s enthusiasm.

Failing to note his superior’s amusement, the young elf continued. “This is such a large file, that I assumed it was of importance. However, the label is in a script that I am unfamiliar with. As I could not tell upon first glance what it was, I pulled it and...”

Gruffly Glorfindel interjected, “So you pulled it to satisfy your curiosity. Soldier, I am a busy elf.”

“Hear him out Glorfindel. He may have stumbled onto something.” Leihon very much wanted to watch his superior deal with this. Erestor remained untouchable by him, but it would be very interesting to see what he would do in the presence of Glorfindel.

Glorfindel snorted and made a gesture for the soldier to continue.

“Sir, this involves an overdue weapons and fitness evaluation.”

“What! You two interrupt me because someone is overdue for physical training? Send a memo  
and get him or her in here. End of problem.”

Quietly the elf responded, “Sir, I do not have the rank necessary to issue a summons for this individual.”

“You need rank to ask a citizen of Imladris to attend his annual physical training...his _mandatory_ evaluation and training. Rank may excuse some from their obligations in King Thranduil's realm, but not here."

“Y...yes, sir.” was the nervous answer.

//It isn’t rank holding the young one back; it is fear. // Glorfindel was upset that someone had made this young soldier so uncomfortable. However, he was aware that this could be an insecure elf that was overreacting, or inexperience coupled with his youth.

Glorfindel addressed the young guardian in a compassionate voice, “Do you believe that Lord Elrond is so unapproachable?”

“No sir!”

“No one outranks him, so I don’t understand the problem.” Glorfindel was growing impatient.

Leihon finally took pity on the young elf, taking the file from his hands and plopping it onto Glorfindel’s desk with a thud. “You will be interested in this. Our soldier is out of his depth in this instance.”

Glorfindel made a gesture of dismissal to the younger elf. “You are dismissed.”

Once the young soldier had taken his leave, Leihon shrugged and said, “You may not think that this is as important as our young friend believes it to be. However in his defense, there is some merit to the argument that this needs to be resolved”

“If it is unimportant, why this?” said Glorfindel, gesturing to the huge mountain of paper that had been dropped onto his desk.

“I did not say that it is unimportant. This pertains to an elf whose position does not lend itself to easy access. He is privy to every communication, secret and military movement of not only Imladris, but to an extent, the Golden Wood as well.” Leihon quirked a smile having said enough. Only one elf fit that description.

Glorfindel sighed. “Tell me that you aren’t speaking of Lord Elrond’s second-in-command, Erestor?”

Leihon nodded. “Yes, it is Erestor. He has to have the ability to defend himself at the very least. On page sixteen you will see a highlighted notation indicating some type of training years ago, but it wasn’t conducted by this office. Since that though, nothing.”

“And why is that?” Glorfindel looked at the file. “Clearly he didn’t simply slip through the cracks.”

Leihon answered, “Hardly. You obviously haven’t dealt with the elf very often. Our counselor has cowed and intimidated many an elf with little more than a glance; myself included. And consider his position. Without endorsement from Lord Elrond, he cannot be compelled to do anything, especially something that would create a void within the Office of Chief Counselor. He ignores summonses or responds with form letters that basically all say the same thing. It is always something about how he cannot be spared as issues in one of the elven kingdoms demand his attention. Valar only knows what it would take to persuade him to interrupt the flow of paperwork going through Elrond’s office.”

Slightly annoyed, Glorfindel snapped, “He is just a paper pusher, Leihon!! What are you frightened of; his quill?”

Leihon quipped, “Lord Erestor can do more with a flourish of his quill than a battalion of orcs armed with the finest Mordor has to offer. I wouldn’t say that I fear his quill, but I certainly have respect for its power.”

Glorfindel attempted to glower, but the look he was getting said a lot. Leihon did not think that even the famed balrog slayer could deal with Erestor. With what he hoped was a very put upon sigh, Glorfindel drew the folder near, opened it to the first page and growled, “Happy?” To which Leihon replied with a chuckle, “I will be.” Glorfindel looked up, cocked an eyebrow and started reading.

\--- --- --- ---

Erestor was bored out of his mind. The papers on his desk represented nothing more than ‘make work’. Still, there wasn’t anything else to do until the inventories and projected budget for the upcoming replenishment of linens were finalized. That was one of the most tedious jobs of the year, and it was going to arrive very shortly.

“ERESTOR!”

The sounds of elven bellowing followed by a door being slammed brought Lord Elrond out of his office.

“Glorfindel? What is the meaning of this?” Lord Elrond stood in his doorway, puzzled at the unwarranted outburst.

“Ask your Chief Counselor!”

Erestor shrugged and mouthed ‘no idea’ to Lord Elrond.

Lord Elrond cocked his head and said, “Glorfindel, you barge into these offices sounding like a wounded orc, and you expect Erestor to explain? Speak up. What is so bloody important?”

Glorfindel waived some documents in the air while wearing an expression of frustration and anger. “This! He has not attended a single physical evaluation or training session in years, and absolutely none that have been conducted by my office.”

Erestor rolled his eyes. Lord Elrond turned slightly so Glorfindel could not see his smile and coughed. He had to remember to capture on canvas the balrog slayer’s fierce countenance as he brandished his weapon of choice--a handful of paperwork. It was all aimed at Erestor, the least likely of any in Imladris to be intimidated.

“The purpose for maintaining simple battle readiness should be apparent to both of you," Glorfindel declared. Erestor knows everything that goes on around here. There is no more valuable target for capture and interrogation. To think that he has had _no_ training in arms or even basic self-defense by my office...it makes my blood boil that he is so cavalier about protecting our secrets.” Glorfindel’s face was red by the end of his rant, while both Erestor and Lord Elrond wore similar expressions of amusement.

As if speaking to an errant student, Glorfindel said, “I have moved you to the top of the list Erestor.”

“What list?” both Erestor and Lord Elrond asked.

“The list of elves scheduled for an evaluation of their physical fitness and ability with weapons. I have augmented the standardized testing and come up with a training regimen designed especially for you. Oh, just so you know...I am going to take a _personal_ interest in your training. I want to see you in my office at the first opportunity. Lord Elrond, I expect your support in this.”  


Glorfindel could be very intimidating, although it was not his habit to be so. However, in this instance he felt justified. Expecting an argument, he crossed his arms and gave his best fierce balrog slayer stance. It never failed him.

It was all Erestor could do to keep from rolling on the floor in laughter. The huge warrior elf had forgotten that he was brandishing paper rather than steel. The erstwhile documentation had been squeezed beyond repair. Lord Elrond wasn’t even trying to stifle his mirth. The un-lordly chortles and heaving shoulders did not do the warrior’s ego any favors.

Erestor smiled impishly as he got to his feet. Instead of acknowledging the warrior, he walked across the room and filed the papers that had been on his desk. In a velvet voice that was more appropriate in bed than the office, he replied, “Very well.”

“After all these years of ducking out on exams, that is all you have to say?” While Glorfindel sounded incredulous, he had not missed the inflection. More than just curiosity was aroused by it.

Ever since Glorfindel’s arrival, he had actively avoided dealing with Lord Elrond’s office staff beyond what was absolutely necessary. In this, his second life, he was not the lord of a house, and therefore not responsible for worrying over the mundane. He defined that as anything that fell outside his sphere of influence as the chief protector and defender of Lord Elrond and Imladris. He knew of Erestor’s reputation, but as it had been garnered in scholarly pursuits, he had disregarded the elf.

Taking a step back from his opinions on the elf’s importance to the bigger picture, he took a good look at the elf before him. Erestor wore his long black hair loose and flowing, just brushing the top of a butt so prime, it begged for groping. //Where did that come from? // From the elf’s slow and languorous movements, as well as the seductively voiced concession, he just knew that he would be incredible in bed. //Oh, Valar. I’m not an adolescent with a hard on for everything that breathes.// He shook himself, trying to banish these thoughts from his mind. It was a losing battle. The thoughts rippled through his body like hot, tempting chocolate.

Glorfindel looked away and coughed. Lord Elrond smirked. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what the warrior was thinking about. His counselor was compelling, and when he wished it, radiated an aura of sexual energy to which even he was not entirely immune. Obviously, neither was his Captain.

With an incredibly wicked look, Erestor asked, “What did you expect, Glorfindel? You want to measure my fitness and judge my abilities. I’m agreeable to that. I’ll be in your office in the morning.” Erestor gestured to the paperwork on his desk and added, “I’m sure Lord Elrond will be more than happy to deal with...this.”

Glorfindel had the grace to look sheepish when he saw Lord Elrond wince.

Erestor turned to Lord Elrond. “The household inventories should hit my desk tomorrow. The budget figures for textiles and linens should be arriving within the hour. You’ll need to examine and approve them before...”

“He can probably sort out the budget for sheets and napkins.” Glorfindel interrupted.

Lord Elrond chuckled when Erestor winked at him. He hadn’t allowed Erestor time off for honing his physical skills or testing their readiness. He had not seen a real need. Perhaps that had been ‘cavalier’ on his part, but now it served him well.

Erestor’s velvety voice assured, “I wouldn’t dream of trying to get out of your exercises. Playing...er... practicing and honing my skill with sword, dagger and bow is definitely of great importance. A few days with you and I will be a peak physical specimen. Below these robes will lurk a killer body with skills to match.” Erestor turned to Lord Elrond in what seemed almost an afterthought. “You don’t mind covering for me, do you?”

Lord Elrond smiled and shook his head. “No, I don’t mind at all. If you could drop by at the end of the day though and make sure I was able to take care of everything; what with all of my other duties...”

Glorfindel spoke up, “It has been a very long time since he has been as physically active as he will be during the coming week.” His voice laden with uncharacteristic sarcasm, he continued, “He won’t be able to drag himself to the other side of the compound, much less concentrate on anything as _important_ as household budgets.” Lord Elrond lifted an eyebrow, but otherwise let it pass.

Erestor gracefully crossed the room and began clearing his desk. “Glorfindel has spoken, and you bore witness, Lord Elrond. I’ll be too wiped out to concentrate on anything other than the burn in my muscles.” Erestor grinned. “You know...from centuries of disuse.”

With a dead pan look and voice to match, Lord Elrond replied, “Uh huh.

Glorfindel did not smile. “There is a capture simulation set for the end of the week. Since the timing coincides with Erestor’s training, I intend to make use of the opportunity. We will put him to the test, and see just what it takes to make him break. Considering his position, that may be one of the more important aspects of his training.”

Erestor gave an almost imperceptible nod. It was not uncommon to utilize this type of testing prior to placing an elf into the position of spy. In his opinion, this wasn’t an entirely surprising development.

Lord Elrond said, “You are quite correct in pointing out his value to an enemy. My acceptance is conditional, however. The only way that I will allow his participation is if you oversee it in person. I am sure that your soldiers are competent, but making an elf such as Erestor talk requires a good bit more skill than they possess. ”

Erestor’s back was turned to Glorfindel, so he missed the glare and mouthed words ‘thanks a lot’.

Glorfindel answered, “It has been a long time since I've been involved in this type of simulation. I will ensure that it is run in such a way as to be meaningful.”

Erestor’s stomach did a flip. What would the famed balrog slayer consider to be a meaningful simulation? He had agreed to do this for Lord Elrond, but hadn’t considered all of the possible ramifications.

“You have a week, Glorfindel,” said Elrond. “Any longer than that and you will perform his duties yourself; that is if there are any that you are competent to perform.”

Glorfindel didn’t know if he had been insulted or not. A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought, and a blond, blue eyed elf popped his head in.

“My Lords! I’m not early am I? I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” said Prince Legolas of Mirkwood.

“Greetings, Prince Legolas! You know Lord Erestor, of course. May I present Glorfindel?” responded Lord Elrond.

“It is an honor.” Truth be told, Prince Legolas suffered from a bit of hero worship for the hero of Gondolin. However, it was not appropriate for a son of King Thranduil to be seen as a groupie.

Elrond looked at Glorfindel and grinned. “Glorfindel is trying to convince Lord Erestor to attend fitness training. He fears that our counselor’s battle readiness is in doubt.”

“Oh?”

“It has been years since his most recent fitness screening. My concerns represent more than doubt.” insisted Glorfindel.

Prince Legolas laughed. “Have you forgotten how to hold a sword, Uncle?”

Erestor turned to Elrond, “My Lord, I need to go over a few things with Prince Legolas before day's end. Now, if you will excuse us.” Without pausing for an answer, Erestor turned and followed the Prince out of the room.

Skeptical, Glorfindel asked, “Uncle?”

“It is an expression of affection, rather than an indication of a blood bond. For several years, Erestor lived in Mirkwood, serving as an ambassador of sorts. He enjoyed a congenial relationship with King Thranduil, and as time passed, they became close friends. After the prince’s birth, King Thranduil was anxious for more free time to spend with his family. It is largely unknown, but during that time, Erestor worked as a personal assistant to the king. For a while, some of the work coming out of King Thranduil’s office had in actuality been done by Erestor. The prince grew up around him.”

Glorfindel sniffed. “Why didn’t King Thranduil just delegate? Surely he has qualified people working under him. Why use one of yours?”

“Mirkwood is very different from Imladris. At the time, there were several who vied for favored positions within King Thranduil’s office. These were powerful elves, each wishing to be the power behind the throne. Had he approached any one of them, an imbalance would have been created and petty in-fighting reached zenith proportions. Erestor was the intelligent choice. He had no hidden agenda and was smarter than the lot of them. Perhaps more important was that, as a friend, he would go to great lengths to make King Thranduil look good, rather than to promote himself and his own self worth.”

Glorfindel pinched the bridge of his nose. He still remembered headaches brought on by the political maneuvering within King Turgon’s government. The madness had even reached some of the people working within his own house. He shook his head and sighed. //A prince calls him uncle and a king calls him pal. Oh great. // It seemed that he may have spoken hastily when promising to take personal interest in the scholar’s training. A Noldo elf that King Thranduil’s son calls uncle is not one to be taken lightly; no matter his demeanor. It didn’t promise to be a relaxing week.

\--- --- --- ---

Seeing Erestor crossing the square the next morning, Glorfindel called his second in command to the window. “Tell me, what was so hard about making him attend fitness evaluations?”

Leihon did not rise to Glorfindel’s goading. He was well aware that very seldom was Erestor _made_ to do anything. He had agreed to undergo evaluation and training, but only because he wanted to. That begged the question of why.

Glorfindel was famous due to the unique circumstances surrounding his return from the Halls of Waiting. On the other hand, Erestor, though not famous, was feared and respected by some of the most powerful elves currently living. Leihon knew it, but assumed that Glorfindel did not. Perhaps he should have given his boss notice, but it never crossed his mind to do so. That it did not spoke to more than his knowledge of the elf in question. He suspected that Erestor’s arrival had nothing to do with maintaining physical fitness or improving weapon skill.

Erestor entered Glorfindel’s office after being greeted by a couple of acquaintances. The first thing that Glorfindel did was berate his choice in attire; perhaps not the best way to start an elf’s day.

“I realize that you are a man of books rather than physical labor. However, even you should realize that leather chafes. You didn’t seriously believe that outfit was proper attire for exercise did you?”

Erestor slowly looked Glorfindel up and down. “I do not own anything remotely similar to what you are wearing. Perhaps you mistake me for one of your cadets.”

Leihon bit his lips in order to keep from grinning. “I’m sure we can find something, Captain.”

Ignoring him, Glorfindel responded, “Even new recruits are expected to wear appropriate attire. Although you are not one of my soldiers, you _will_ find clothing appropriate to the activities we will take you through.”

A broad smile crossed the counselor’s face. “It may take time to find acceptable clothing in my size, but be assured that I will endeavor to do just that.” He then turned to leave.

Glorfindel jumped to his feet. “Erestor! I did not give you permission to leave. Come back here this instant!”

Erestor stopped dead in his tracks. Then slowly he turned around to face Glorfindel.

As if on cue, Prince Legolas walked into the office wearing a cheeky grin that cut through the tension like a knife. Remembering Lord Elrond’s comment of the previous day, he had followed Erestor in hopes of seeing what the balrog slayer had been so worked up about.

In a soft, but somewhat ominous tone, Erestor said, “Permission?”

Not catching the nuance, Glorfindel replied, “I did not dismiss you.”

Legolas stepped outside and spied Elladan and motioned the elf over. Elladan entered the office, stopping short upon seeing the look on Erestor’s face. “What's going on?”

Legolas whispered, “Unless I miss my guess, Erestor is about to explain chain of command to your captain. As much fun as it would be to watch Uncle take down the balrog slayer, you’d better break it up. Your father isn’t here, but maybe they will listen to you.”

Elladan whispered. “You have _got_ to be kidding. If I say something, Glorfindel might back off in deference to Ada, but Erestor won’t. He will just give me one of those looks.”

Glorfindel pounded on his desk and said, “It was hard enough to get you out of Lord Elrond’s offices in the first place, and now you try to walk out before we have even begun!”

“You told me to find ‘appropriate attire’. I can’t do that standing in your office.” Erestor’s lips pouted, but there was steel laced to the velvet quality of his voice.

Elladan considered his options, none of which were good in his opinion. He had learned long ago to pick his battles. While he worshiped the ground Glorfindel walked on, Erestor was a friend and wielded more authority.

Being the eldest son of Lord Elrond, Elladan knew that he could say things that others would not dare. “It is amazing to see the hero of Gondolin red faced in anger over an elf’s choice of trousers. Get hold of yourself, Glorfindel. I’m sure that he didn’t intend to work out in them. By the way, you look very good in black leather Erestor.”

“You can wear my leggings,” Legolas volunteered. “I have a couple of pairs stowed in the changing room.” As he turned to leave, Legolas glanced at Elladan. “Glorfindel needs to get laid or something. He sounds more like my father than the hero of Gondolin.”

Glorfindel sat back and considered the elf before him. Whatever he might think of Prince Legolas, his trained eye told him that he was all muscle. To see a scholar attempting to wear clothing tailored to fit the athletic body of a young warrior prince would be quite the hoot. Although the counselor looked good in a robe, that was a far cry from trying to don a warrior’s garb.

Leihon kept to the back of the room, taking it all in. He suspected that Erestor was playing Glorfindel, but what was the game?

\--- --- --- ---

“Why did he blow up over what you are wearing?” asked Elladan.

“Honestly, I do not know. My guess is that it had nothing to do with clothing. I was more interested in his comment about not having given me permission to leave. It implies an authority that he does not possess. It was the type of misstatement that an elf in his position cannot afford to make. Leihon made note of Glorfindel’s mental lapse. He is an intelligent elf, and one that bears watching.”

“Erestor, your guesses are rarely far off the mark. I’ll leave you to change. When you are ready, meet me in the gym.” responded Elladan.

Prince Legolas waited for Elladan to leave before speaking. “Glorfindel thinks to test you, but he is the true subject of this week’s endeavors isn’t he? Does Lord Elrond doubt him in some way?”

Erestor gave Legolas a wry grin. “Leihon might be wondering the same thing right now.”

Legolas tossed a pair of leggings and a soft cotton shirt in Erestor’s direction. “Try these out. I’d wait around, but have someone waiting for me. Maybe I’ll see you this evening at dinner?”

“I will be looking forward to it. Run along. I’ll be fine.”

Erestor dressed and made his way to the gym. Since this was one of the few places in Imladris that he’d never entered, he took the opportunity to examine the room more closely. A mirror ran the length of one wall. A large mat covered much of the floor. Various training implements lay scattered in a mess throughout the room. He idly wondered whether this was a common occurrence.

Elladan paused, seeing Erestor in Legolas’ clothing. He thought Legolas looked good in those leggings, but they fit the counselor like a second skin. Not often did Elladan think of a male as sexual. However, attired as the counselor was, the only word that fit was ‘hot’. He wasn’t attracted to males, but damn! If he were...

“Erestor, I see that you found something that Glorfindel can’t take issue with.” Elladan started walking around the room, moving things away from the mat. “Let’s go ahead and get you warmed up. I don’t know who Glorfindel will send to work with you this morning, but if someone doesn’t come along pretty soon I’ll do it.”

“How do you want me to begin?”

Just then Glorfindel stepped into the room. “You will start with stretches. As you stretch, I will be observing muscle movement. Once you are appropriately warmed up, we will move to flexibility. I’ve arranged your training regimen to measure stamina as well as endurance. It will give me more of an idea as to what chance you might have, based on physical ability, to elude capture.”

Erestor raised an eyebrow. “That is a pretty subjective measure, Glorfindel.”

“Yes counselor, but it is mine to make. From there, I will make a determination of what type of defensive training you require, if any.”

Elladan spoke up, “You are just going through training in defense?”

“He is hardly going to present an offensive threat. An attack specifically targeting Erestor would be designed for capture and interrogation, most likely. We have to determine if there is any chance that he can elude his assailants.” Glorfindel looked at Erestor through shuttered eyes. “Once that is complete, I will find out just what it will take to break him.”

Elladan’s eyes widened. “I thought that this was just an annual exam!”

Instantly, Glorfindel reverted into the role of instructor, concerned that Elladan had the wrong idea. “It has been years since anyone has looked at his physical capabilities and weaknesses. It is my job to ensure that each and every citizen of Imladris is prepared for attack. Erestor is privy to sensitive information, so the bar is set higher. That is why you will not participate in his evaluation. Leihon and I will handle this personally.

Elladan was not surprised to note that the expression on Erestor’s face never faltered. He was a master at concealing his thoughts. Whatever his reaction, Glorfindel would not have the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. It was an admirable trait, but he suspected it would prove to be a painful one as well. It didn’t take much intelligence to realize what Glorfindel had in mind.

“He speaks the truth, Elladan.” Erestor finally commented, “Glorfindel will ensure that the exercise is safe, but I expect there will be pain involved."

Glorfindel turned toward Elladan. “Get these swords put away and take the daggers to my office. Find out who left them in that condition.” When Elladan didn’t immediately move to leave, Glorfindel growled, “Now would be good.”

Elladan finished gathering the weapons from the floor and then, with a last look at Erestor, left for weapon storage.

“Alright Erestor, remove the shirt.”

Erestor cocked an eye at Glorfindel. “I beg your pardon?”

“The musculature on my soldiers is pronounced, and the flow easy to follow. You are a scholar, and not as physically developed. It will be hard enough to see any muscle movement beneath that soft body of yours. I don’t need something blocking the view...such as it is. Now take it off.” Glorfindel turned and bit his bottom lip hard. This was just his professional responsibility. It was no different than with any other elf. He bit his lip harder. Who was he kidding? The elf brought out desires that he kept firmly under check at any other time.

Erestor slipped the shirt over his head, and laid it toward the edge of the mat, then walked to the center of the room. “Better?”

Glorfindel cleared his throat. “Yes, much better. Surprisingly, you aren’t as flabby as I had anticipated.”

In fact, Erestor was built. He didn’t have the large frame and ripped musculature of Leihon or Elladan, but was closer in build to an archer. As the counselor’s job was sedentary, it was an unexpected puzzle.

Glorfindel instructed Erestor in which stretches he was to perform, and then walked around the room observing the elf’s muscle tone. Truth be told, it wasn’t totally with an eye for physical fitness. The elf’s supple movements gave rise to thoughts that were very unprofessional. Shaking himself out of his fantasies, he walked over to a rack near the entrance of the room and selected two hand weights.

“Now you will move on to weight training. Here, take these. Hold both arms out, and to your side. Good. Now hold that position.”

Erestor complained, “What happened to letting me warm up? Surely, that wasn’t the extent of it? The next time you think to submit a request for additional funding, remember this day. It will save you from wasting your time.”

Ignoring him, Glorfindel pulled up a chair, sat down and waited. He judged that after a minute or two the counselor’s arms would begin to tremble. Shortly after that, they would fall. Most book worms didn’t last five minutes. Erestor might last that long, but Glorfindel was doubtful that he would last longer.

Erestor’s body was like stone, not wavering in the slightest. In days long past, he used to stand at attention for hours at a time. No need for the blond to know it though.

From time to time, Glorfindel would walk in a circle around Erestor, looking for signs that his body was tiring. He was more than a little stunned that the counselor had maintained the pose for over an hour. He was curious to learn how long Erestor could hold out, but boredom finally won out over curiosity.

“Leihon, are you out there?” Glorfindel yelled.

Leihon walked into the room and looked past Glorfindel to the figure of Erestor. “What do you need?”

“I’m taking a break. Watch him and come get me if he drops his arms.” Glorfindel looked at Erestor, smirked and left to grab something to drink.

Once he was sure Glorfindel was gone, Leihon said, “He doesn’t know, does he?”

Not moving, Erestor answered, “Know what?”

“That you trained as a spy.”

“I have no idea. It was a long time ago, Leihon. Besides, Glorfindel intends to test me. He wants to learn how much it will take before I break. Thus, I saw no need to enlighten him.”

Erestor’s wondered how Leihon knew anything about his past. He shouldn’t, yet he did. Moreover, he had not shared that knowledge with his superior.

“You are to attend the capture simulation?” Leihon frowned. “He is a strong elf, Erestor, and this is just an exercise. You don’t have anything to prove.”

“He does not see it that way Leihon.” Erestor lowered his head slightly. “I’m well aware how strong he is. What I don’t know is how far he is willing to go. He said that you would assist.”

Leihon cocked an eyebrow. “That is news to me.” Leihon glanced back to make sure the building was still empty. “I don’t know what he has in mind, but it would take a lot to make you talk. Sauron himself would find you a challenge.”

Erestor did not trust Glorfindel’s second-in-command, but had nothing firm on which to base that opinion. It was just a gut feeling. He replied, “I won’t betray the secrets of Imladris to the Dark Lord, or anyone else.”

“Soon, you will have the opportunity to prove the truth behind your words.”

Glorfindel returned in time to hear Leihon’s reply, but paid it no heed. Instead of taking a break, he had gone to his office to consider how best to continue Erestor’s training. The counselor had more stamina than expected. That being the case, he had revised the planned exercise regimen.

“Enough. Put the weights up,” Glorfindel said as he strode back into the room.

“Do you still need me?” asked Leihon.

Glorfindel replied, “Not until later. I want to see some pull ups, Erestor.”

Walking over to the bar, Erestor asked, “How many?”

“Don’t worry, I will tell you when to stop.” Glorfindel stood behind Erestor, watching the muscles in both his back and arms as he pulled up his body weight. After several minutes, suddenly and without warning, Glorfindel said, “Go to the center of the mat and give me push-ups.”

Erestor dropped and began doing push-ups. After close to 200 repetitions, he began wishing that Glorfindel would give it a rest. Glorfindel knew that the counselor should be tiring. In his experience, the body could only take so much. One of the things he wanted to learn was how far Erestor could push himself beyond that point. It was a measure of endurance.

Three hundred pushups later, Glorfindel called a stop to it. “Take ten minutes and get something to drink. When you return, we will continue with some stretches.”

The remainder of the morning consisted of various exercises for arms, chest and back. They broke for an hour at lunch. Erestor’s plan was to grab a sandwich and soak his aching muscles. Unfortunately, Elrond spied him before he made a clean get away and asked him to come to his office after grabbing a fast snack.

“How did the morning go, Erestor? You don’t look any worse for wear.” Elrond was standing by an open window as if he had been observing someone.

Erestor quirked a small smile. “Glorfindel lounged around while I exercised. About half way through, I began wondering what it would be like to relax while he ran budget figures. Turn about, and all that.”

“Elladan dropped by earlier this morning. He was concerned that I understood exactly the extremes Glorfindel intends for you. ”

Erestor nodded. “We explained that Glorfindel is going to examine to what extent I can be trusted to guard the interests of Imladris when put to the test. Personally, I would prefer that he take my word for it, but can understand why he won’t.” Erestor chuckled. “I didn’t expect that to satisfy Elladan. He is too much like you."

Elrond’s voice turned serious. “Glorfindel is a veteran warrior of more than a little skill. I know that you understand what is entailed, but...”

Erestor cocked his head and smiled weakly. “Unfortunately, I do have a good idea of what to expect. It will give me some insight into Glorfindel and how his mind works when judging the capacities of others.” Erestor gave Lord Elrond a puzzled look. “I trust him implicitly, but the leak came from his office. Without getting me into that environment, I cannot nail down the source. I thought that this was part of our original plan?”

Elrond nodded and walked over to his desk. “It was, yet I find myself unsettled. For now, the examination will continue as initially planned. Tomorrow, Glorfindel and I will discuss the scenario he envisions creating. I had only planned on your absence being one week. However, I am not going to place that kind of restriction on an exercise of this nature. Glorfindel will be given broad latitude.

 

Erestor nodded. The idea hadn’t seemed quite so unsettling until Elrond said he was going to give Glorfindel latitude. He hoped Elrond didn’t put it to Glorfindel in quite that way, or at least forbade maiming his Chief Counselor.

\--- --- --- ---

Upon returning from lunch, Glorfindel noted that Erestor seemed subdued. “I had planned to take you through lower body exercises this afternoon. However, I am undecided as to whether we should continue. Are you well Erestor? This can be taken up tomorrow if need be.”

“I’m just preoccupied. It is nothing.” assured Erestor.

“Is there anything that I should know?” inquired Glorfindel.

“Elrond will speak with you about it tomorrow.” With that, Erestor cut that line of questioning off.

Glorfindel knew better than to push. “All right, let’s get to it then. I want you to sit with your back to the wall, and spread your legs as wide as you are able.”

Erestor did as instructed only to meet with, “Is that the best you can do? Grab your ankles and pull!” Although he appeared to try, his legs remained in place.

Glorfindel sat across from Erestor and braced his feet on the inside of his legs. “Tell me when I need to stop.” And with that, he pushed Erestor’s legs so wide that it took his breath away.

Erestor cried out, “Stop, stop, stop. That’s far enough!”

Glorfindel responded by forcing the legs wider.

“Nooooo...”

“Does it hurt? Usually the body can take more than the average elf believes. Remain still, and try to get your breathing under control. Your muscles will relax, and the pain will subside. Just give it a few seconds.”

For the first couple of minutes moving was totally out of the question. Glorfindel was right though. It did get better....well, sort of. Just as his muscles seemed to stretch out and relax a bit, the size difference between Erestor and Legolas became something of an issue. Erestor began squirming in an attempt to find a comfortable position. He bit his bottom lip and rocked forward a bit, prompting Glorfindel to apply more pressure.

“Is something wrong?”

“These leggings are too tight.” Erestor rocked his hips and leaned forward, only to quickly move back into place.

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow and eyed the counselor skeptically. “The leggings stretch Erestor, and you are very close in size to the Prince. It is hard to believe, but you are.”

Erestor gritted his teeth and gave Glorfindel a meaningful glare. “Listen to me carefully. They are too tight.”

“Oh!” Glorfindel glanced at Erestor’s groin, and said, “Sorry. Instead of this, let’s work on your abdominal muscles. Go over to the center of the mat and lay on your back, legs together and arms by your side.” It took Erestor a while, as his legs did not want to move.

“Now raise your legs two inches off the floor, and hold it.”

Erestor moaned. “I hate this exercise.”

Glorfindel laughed. “Almost everyone does.”

The afternoon continued in that vein until the day neared an end. To wind things up, Glorfindel said, “I want to end the day with a run. We will take the path out of Imladris and make our way to the river. A swim in the river does wonders for tired muscles.”

Erestor sighed, glad for the day to be almost over. “I look forward to it then.”

They set a fairly quick pace considering how tired Erestor was. When the water was in sight, he called on his extra reserves, and picked up the pace. Once at river’s edge, he stripped off his shirt, kicked off his shoes, peeled off his leggings and dove in. After a physically tiring day, this was bliss. He floated on his back with his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

Glorfindel wasn’t so fast to dive in. Instead he took a moment to survey their surroundings. There was a small flash as Erestor dove in the water, but he didn’t see anything to account for it. Shrugging, he entered the water.

After relaxing for half an hour or so, Erestor swam to the bank and called, “I am getting out, but take your time.”

Glorfindel started to leave the water as well, but came to a dead halt when Erestor bent to pick up the shirt he had discarded earlier. The sun happened to shine just right, and there was a brief glint between his thighs. The origin had Glorfindel standing with his mouth open, unable to speak. Something behind Erestor’s balls had glinted in the sunlight!

// The sun shined on his… Huh? //

After the swim, both elves lay in the grass for a while in order to dry off. Glorfindel couldn’t think of a tactful way to ask about what he thought that he’d seen. He suspected that Erestor knew he wanted to ask him something. Finally, noting the sun’s placement in the sky, Glorfindel declared it time to return to Imladris. While dressing, he couldn’t help casting surreptitious glances at Erestor. He wasn’t able to see anything abnormal, but something was very definitely off. Elves do not shine...there.

Upon their return, they made for the changing room. Erestor’s back was turned giving Glorfindel the opportunity to watch as he changed back into the leather trousers from that morning. He felt like a voyeur. However, a brief glint assured him that he was justified in watching. Now, he knew he hadn’t imagined it. Erestor left before he could think of anything to say.

\---- ---- ---- ----

Glorfindel was already in the dining hall when Legolas and Erestor arrived. Throughout the evening, his gaze was drawn to Erestor. Did he realize that his genitalia reflected sunlight? Did he know that Glorfindel knew? He didn’t realize that he had been so absorbed in thought until Lord Elrond addressed him.

“Glorfindel, do you have a moment?”

“Of course” Glorfindel replied.

“Let’s talk in my office.”

As they entered, Elrond closed the door behind them. “Is anything amiss? It was brought to my attention that you have been staring at my counselor as if he has two heads. Your demeanor toward him this evening alternated between intense curiosity, aversion, horror and fascination. So tell me, is there a problem?”

“Er...nothing is amiss my lord.” Glorfindel panicked. What was he supposed to say? He could just imagine. //He shines in the sunlight. No, really. The sun glints off of something behind his balls!! Order him to strip and take a close look. // No, that definitely was not a good plan. He realized that his behavior made it seem as if he were hiding something, but he was not sure what he could do about it, except tell the truth. He walked to the window, looking for some way to say this without sounding like a fool. He didn’t come up with anything. With a great sigh of resignation, he turned and spoke.

“Earlier, we were in the changing room after returning from a run to the river. Erestor was changing out of borrowed leggings, and into his trousers. He was nude. We were talking while he changed, and I happened to turn at just the right moment.” Glorfindel sucked in his breath and then forged ahead. “The sun shone through and glinted off of his privates! It wasn’t just a brief flash either. He actually shined while bending to remove his leggings!” That wasn’t exactly the way it had happened, but Glorfindel felt that it was close enough.

Elrond managed to keep a dead pan face, but only from centuries of practice. “You were admiring his nude body, and light bounced off of his ‘privates’. I assume that is the source of your curiosity. What about that elicits aversion and horror?”

The look on Glorfindel’s face was priceless. “Oh my Lord, it is abnormal! I’ve lived a very long time, and never in all those centuries have I heard of anything even remotely similar! Elven genitalia do _not_ shine.”

Elrond leaned back in his chair and used a clinical voice to ask, “Ah, and that abnormality gives rise to fantasy?”

The horrified expression on Glorfindel’s face said it all.

“Glorfindel, have you asked him about it?”

Glorfindel went wide eyed at the thought. “No, sir! I would never ask an ellon about such a thing!”

“He will be very aware of your unease. He has a great talent for reading people, not that he’d need much.” Elrond did not add that Erestor could also read an elf’s unguarded thoughts at times. That particular talent was too useful to make common knowledge. “Ask him about it, Glorfindel. He is not easily embarrassed.”

“I just couldn’t. I mean, how do you broach such a subject?” Glorfindel was not a particularly shy elf, but this just wasn’t your run of the mill dinner conversation. ‘How was your day Counselor? By the way, why does your genetalia twinkle in the sunlight?’

Elrond put on his best stern face and said, “Glorfindel, I can make that an order if need be. I’ll not have the Captain of the Guard looking at my Chief Counselor as you were this evening at dinner. It is very seldom that I am forced to speak to you about appearances. Before tomorrow is over, you are to have asked him about it. At day’s end, I will speak with Erestor. He had better tell me what I want to hear. If not, we will all have this conversation in my office...just the _three_ of us. Understood?”

Glorfindel gritted his teeth and inclined his head. “Yes sir.”

As soon as the door closed, Elrond burst forth in a full throated belly laugh. He really hoped that Glorfindel didn’t ask, because that conversation would be priceless.

After breakfast the next morning, Elrond watched with interest as his Captain of the Guard approached his Chief Counselor. He looked more like a shy elfling, than one of the greatest warriors walking Middle Earth.

Glorfindel cleared his throat and said, “Erestor, today we will test your ability with weapons.”

Erestor lifted a graceful eyebrow and smiled. “I look forward to it.”

Glorfindel abruptly turned, and all but fled the room. He left thinking that there was no way in Mordor he could ask the elf about his shiny assets. He completely missed the wicked smile and chuckle as Erestor’s eyes followed his retreat. Likewise, he did not see Elrond’s amused grin.  
  



	2. Jail Bait

Glorfindel was preoccupied as he walked into the changing room to fetch his bracers and fencing boots. Elrond made it an order, so he had to say something. He was going over ways to approach the Counselor, when the elf in question burst into the room. He was wearing one of the robes of his office, and seemed to be out of breath. Glorfindel cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh Glorfindel, I am so sorry for being late. Lord Elrond required that I drop by the office. Don’t worry; I brought a change of clothes.” And just like that, he turned around and dropped his robe to the floor. 

“Uh, there is no problem.” Glorfindel gulped as he looked at the sight of the suddenly nude elf. His eyes zeroed in on the area of greatest interest, and followed its progress as Erestor bent to pick the robe up off the floor. “No, I was just...” There it was! For a moment there, it shined!

Erestor was slowly folding up his robe, seemingly unaware of Glorfindel’s scrutiny. 

“You were just what, Glorfindel?”

Glorfindel cleared his throat. “Putting bracers and fencing boots on. Er, what... I mean...uh...”

Erestor turned in mid motion, “Yes?”

“Um, the tattoo on your ankle...I was thinking how much it must have hurt.”

Erestor shrugged.

Glorfindel floundered, but continued on. “I haven’t seen many elves who voluntarily allowed their flesh to be altered.”

Erestor sat the robe on a bench, and began pulling his hair into a thick, loose braid as he spoke. “No, it did not hurt. The artist was quite talented.”

Erestor bound a leather strap around the braid to hold it all in place, before walking across to where Legolas had left a bow leaning against the wall in the corner. Glorfindel bent slightly and tried to spy what was causing the play of light off the counselor’s privates.

Suddenly Erestor turned around, almost catching Glorfindel in the act. He hefted the bow and said, “It is a representation of a stylized symbol honoring Tulkas.”

“Are you going to get dressed, or do you plan on sparring in the buff?” asked Glorfindel. // Not that I have anything especially against it. //

Erestor casually walked over to the pile of clothes he had laid on a chair. He then said, “I apologize if nudity makes you uncomfortable.” 

Once he had turned to reach for his leggings, Glorfindel peered down and cocked his head in concentration as he mumbled, “No, of course not.” It was then that Erestor turned his head, and smiling said, “Good. From the way you looked at me, I was not certain.”

Glorfindel had been caught looking. He could only imagine what Lord Elrond would say about it. Sighing, Glorfindel began to pace. Erestor hastily donned his leggings, cocked his head (and hid a smile). “What is it Glorfindel? You have wanted to say something to me ever since I entered the room this morning.”

“I would not say that I want to ask, but Lord Elrond has ordered me to do so.” 

“If it concerns the proposed simulation...”

“No, it is nothing like that. Have you ever seen sunlight glinting off a sword blade?” asked Glorfindel.

“Yes”

Glorfindel cleared his throat. “Yesterday at the river, I saw something.” 

“What did you see? There wasn’t someone lurking nearby with a weapon was there?” asked Erestor.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure what I saw. In fact, I am still not sure. It was when you dove into the river.” Glorfindel took a deep breath. “You shine Erestor!”

Erestor grinned. “I shine?”  
“It is more like sunlight reflecting off of metal, like a sword or dagger.”

Still grinning, Erestor asked, “So, let’s see if I understand you. I was diving into the river, and then all of a sudden I shined like sun reflecting off a sword blade?”

Glorfindel shook his head. “Not you per se. It was just a piece of you; your jewels.”

Still smiling, Erestor cocked an eyebrow and asked, “You were looking at ‘my jewels’ yesterday?”

“Not on purpose. They were just there.” 

Erestor laughed. “And today?”

“I was just... I mean...” sputtered Glorfindel. 

Erestor smirked. “You were about to break your neck trying to look at ‘the jewels’. You thought I wouldn’t notice?”

Glorfindel blanched. “Erestor, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have, but you did it again and...”

“Glorfindel, it is a guiche piercing.” It was obvious to Erestor that Glorfindel had no idea what he was talking about. “It is a form of body art.”

“You are pierced...THERE?” was Glorfindel’s automatic response. “Oh Valar!” Glorfindel shuddered. “Why would you do such a thing?”

 

Without hesitation, Erestor answered, “Sex. It enhances sensation...a lot.”

“Sex is precisely why you should not do such a thing! You could have damaged something!” Glorfindel looked out the door to make sure nobody was around. He was quiet for a moment, and then whispered, “Where do they...um...do it? How did they do it?”

Erestor loudly whispered, “Behind the scrotum. The artist poked and prodded; even stimulating my prostate so she would get the placement just right. She saw a slight swell, marked the spot and told me to start taking deep breaths. I took one breath, then two breaths, and then on three she plunged a big needle though.” 

Glorfindel turned a lovely shade of green and croaked, “Oh Valar.” 

Erestor grinned wickedly before adding, “For a few seconds, the pain was truly excruciating.”

Still green, Glorfindel asked, “But now?”

 

“There are millions of nerves in that area. The sensations are incredible. This is definitely one of the most erotic piercings that I’ve ever had.” Erestor winced. “But when leggings are tight, it can be a problem.”

Glorfindel thought about yesterday’s exercises. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”

Erestor let him sit, lost in thought, for a couple of minutes before saying, “Glorfindel?”

“I was just remembering a friend.” Glorfindel responded. “He was the most audacious elf that I’ve ever met. Your piercing put me in mind of him. Were he here instead of me, he would be asking where to get one.”

“What about you?” Erestor kidded.

“I am not about to let someone jab a needle near my jewels! I get quite enough stimulation as it is!” 

The emphasis with which he said it was enough to make Erestor erupt into peals of laughter. Finally noting the Captain’s discomfort, he changed the subject. “I take it that we are going to spar with swords this morning.”

Glorfindel tried to switch into his role of Captain, with limited success. “Yes, we will work with swords for most of the morning. After that, we will move on to daggers. Lord Elrond wants me in his office late this afternoon, but we can go to the archery range after lunch and get a couple of hours in.”

Erestor grinned. “I get to leave early?” It didn’t happen often.

“Do you know what today’s meeting is about? After lunch yesterday, you mentioned something,” asked Glorfindel.

“It has to do with the test you plan on putting me though. You know...the one where you try to make me scream and give up the secrets of the great Elven realms. He won’t be giving us the same information, so there really isn’t much that I can say.”

Glorfindel grumped. “Fine, how long has it been since last you practiced with a sword?”

“I own a couple of swords, and practice when I can. Last night was the last time I handled a sword.” Although his expression was impassive, Erestor was working to maintain a straight face. 

Glorfindel inquired, “Last night? Where did you practice, in your rooms? It is hard to spar in total darkness.”

“Oh no, I was in the Library’s archive.”

“WHAT?” Glorfindel roared with laughter. “I have a mental picture of you wearing robes of office, and doing battle with a shelf of books. The library isn’t really the type of practice that I had in mind when I asked.”

“I didn’t really think that it was.” Erestor grinned. “I would never take a blade to books; it was Lord Elrond. You remember that he asked me to make an appearance after being released?”

Glorfindel’s mouth was hanging slightly open. “I do. He wanted to spar in the Library? How unexpected. Does he do that sort of thing often?”

A grin spread across Erestor’s face. “He is fairly spontaneous.”

“I had no idea that he kept swords in the Library.”

Erestor raised an eyebrow. “That could have something to do with the fact that you don’t ever come to the Library. We have a variety of weapons displayed, ceremonial or very old for the most part. There are a few very valuable specimens.”

Glorfindel nodded with interest. “I will check it out after leaving Lord Elrond later today. What kind of sword did you use last night?”

“Last night, I used an Elven sword much like my own. Lord Elrond chose a blade favored by humans. There is no question which is the better blade,” Erestor replied, but did not elaborate.

“Good. You at least know the basics of swordplay. It will make this morning’s exercises more meaningful. Are you ready?” asked Glorfindel. 

Once on the training field, Glorfindel began scanning the elves already practicing. Erestor began getting a feel for the training sword he had been given. 

“Good morning, Captain,” Elrohir said in way of greeting.

 

Glorfindel turned at the voice. “I didn’t expect to see you for quite some time. How have you been?”

“Ada had a rider intercept Haldir and me, asking us to return. There is something he wanted to discuss with him.” Elrohir was speaking to Glorfindel, but looking at Erestor.

“He looks almost like a soldier out there.” remarked Glorfindel.

“No Captain, none of your soldiers look anything like that.” Then walking across the practice field, Elrohir yelled “Erestor!”

“Elrohir!” answered Erestor. 

Elrohir gave him a lopsided smile and asked, “What on earth are you doing here?”

Erestor nodded toward Glorfindel. “He insisted on physical fitness training, and your ada caved.” Then he shrugged. “It gives me a few days away from paperwork, and to be honest, I’d rather enjoy the outdoors than be stuck in the office today. We aren’t going to tell the Captain that. He very much likes to think that I am here at his behest.”

Elrohir smiled. “Looking like that, he may want to keep you here longer than Ada had planned.”

Erestor laughed. “You are kind, but I very much doubt it.”

Although Glorfindel was watching the exchange, his thoughts were back in the locker room. He couldn’t get the picture of Erestor on all fours waiting to be pierced out of his mind.

Elrohir was the first to notice the odd look on the warrior’s face. He nodded his head in the general direction and asked, “What is with him?”

Erestor knew very well where Glorfindel’s thoughts were. From across the training yard, he yelled, “Oh Captain! Captain Glorfindel! I’m ready when you are.” 

Glorfindel’s head snapped up. “Right, I’m coming.”

Once they stood across from one another, the vision of Erestor on hands and knees returned. Glorfindel couldn’t shake it. The expression on his face left little doubt as to the nature of his thoughts. 

Elrohir looked at Erestor and shrugged.

Smiling wickedly, Erestor said, “The pain is only momentary. It leads to such pleasure that it is quickly forgotten.”

Elrohir lifted an eyebrow, knowing something was up, but having no clue just what it was. 

Glorfindel gulped and stepped back. “Elrohir, would you be good enough to spar with the Counselor for me?” Then he walked up and whispered, “I can’t concentrate.”

Nodding, Elrohir took the practice blade from Glorfindel, and proceeded to go through some basic sparring techniques. Once Glorfindel left and Elrohir was certain he wasn’t coming back, he called a halt to their sparring. He knew Erestor was capable with a sword, even if the Captain did not. 

Out of curiosity he asked, “What was that all about?”

Erestor grinned. “Earlier, we discussed body art.”

Elrohir was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure that I follow.”

“He has been that way ever since I answered a couple of questions about a piercing.”

“The expression on his face didn’t indicate that he was thinking about body art.” Elrohir chuckled. //Glorfindel doesn’t become distracted easily, so I doubt it is as simple as that. //

Glorfindel went to his office and shut the door. It had been a long time since daydreams had caused a lack of concentration while on duty. The vision of Chief Counselor Erestor on hands and knees was unexpected, and surprisingly erotic. He felt like an adolescent elfling. Turning to a report that had lain on his desk for nigh on a week, he attempted to turn his attention to something more mundane. 

After reading the same paragraph three times and not having the slightest idea what it said, he gave up. It did rid him of his erotic images of Erestor, but in their place was something much more potent. This picture was of an intelligent, witty and breathtaking elf that had a wild streak few knew of. 

What disturbed him was that these were the qualities that had initially drawn him to Lord Ecthelion, his lover in Gondolin. Was his loneliness causing him to see things that were not there? While he did not want to dwell on this, it had to be resolved to the extent that it was not in the forefront of his mind. Lord Elrond would demand his full attention in only a very few hours.

Admittedly, he did not know Erestor outside of work at all. Most of his off hours were spent in the company of other warriors. Perhaps it was a limiting factor that should change. His mind had created an image of Erestor that was not based entirely on knowledge of the facts. He needed to concentrate on sorting fact from fiction. 

Obviously the wild side did indeed exist. His piercing alone spoke of audaciousness. Only a bold elf with more than a little self assurance would go on hands and knees to allow someone to put a needle that close to some very important bits. He still shuddered at the thought. There was no way on Arda he would ever do something so crazy. 

The elf’s exquisite beauty was a given. In some ways, Erestor was similar to Lord Ecthelion, but there was no confusing the two. Erestor’s looks were more androgynous and exotic. There was a unique quality about him.

When choosing a mate, intellect and wit were important characteristics to consider. //Mate? // No one would deny that Erestor was one of the most intelligent elves on Middle Earth. Nor would any who had dealings with him deny his wit. Lord Ecthelion had been a gifted warrior and well read noble. However, Erestor’s intellect went much deeper. There was no comparison to be made.

Lord Ecthelion’s superiority had been in the areas of weaponry, combat and leadership. There, he had few equals. Glorfindel suspected that the two elves would have been well matched in their knowledge of tactics and strategy. A chess match between the two would have been an interesting thing to watch. 

The time spent in introspection had not lessened Glorfindel’s desire to know the elf better, but it had given him some peace of mind. This attraction was not based on his desire for Lord Ecthelion. That being the case, it wouldn’t hurt to become friends. He would have to rein in the inappropriate thoughts he had been having. He refused to mislead and use Erestor for the purpose of physical gratification. His mind made up, he smiled. Calling a scholar friend would be a new and unusual experience. He hadn’t had one of those in years. 

In the meantime, Elrohir and Erestor had moved from sparring with swords to knives. Erestor was fairly good with a sword, but with knives he excelled. It was quickly obvious that there was no need to continue. Glorfindel communicated that he wished them to go over basics. Erestor was well past that, so there seemed little point. This left the rest of the morning free. Elrohir left, hoping to avoid being drawn into a teaching role again. 

While Erestor wished that he could leave as well, his sense of duty did not allow it. Instead, he went to Glorfindel’s office with the intent of obtaining permission. He was surprised and frustrated to find that the warrior wasn’t there. Waiting around soon became boring, so he looked for something to help pass the time. There was an unfinished duty roster, a funding request that had been rejected pending minor correction, and a write up on one of the new recruits. 

He made the corrections to the funding request, and moved on to the duty roster. While looking it over to ascertain Glorfindel’s intentions, he spied a list covered in doodles. The doodles seemed to be random, but the list of adjectives captured his interest. There were stars and check marks beside them, leaving him to wonder what the warrior had been working on. The word beautiful was followed by an exclamation mark and a couple of stars. Beautiful and sexy could pertain to a weapon. However the phrase ‘cute ass’ very definitely could not. Apparently Glorfindel was attracted to someone. Which of his soldiers would he call sexy, beautiful and smart with a ‘cute ass’? The Chief Counselor to Lord Elrond then turned one of the most powerful minds in Middle Earth to the question of which elf the warrior found so desirable. Needless to say, the duty roster did not get finished.

Half an hour later, Glorfindel found Erestor sitting in his office with an oddly amused expression on his face. With something akin to horror, he realized that the list he had been working on earlier was lying on top of the documents on his desk. //Did I use his name? Does he know that I was thinking of him? //

“What are you doing here, Erestor? I left you on the training yard with Elrohir.”

Erestor’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “We finished, and he left. I was tempted to go as well, but thought you would become annoyed to find me truant. Imagine my surprise at discovering you were nowhere to be found.” 

Glorfindel tried to be nonchalant when glancing at his desk. Instead, Erestor picked up on panic which intrigued him greatly. The warrior hadn’t wanted him to see that list. The great balrog slayer was embarrassed. He catalogued the knowledge away. 

Glorfindel schooled his features before looking at Erestor appraisingly. “We have lived in Imladris for a long time, and yet I know very little about you. I’d like to remedy that.”

Erestor’s teasing smile vanished. “For all the years that you’ve lived here, your companions have all been warriors; every single one of them. I am not, nor do I ever wish to be.” Then he cocked his head and smiled. “I have many friends, and would like to add you to that number. However, I am not certain that the feeling is mutual. There is nothing warlike about me. If that doesn’t dissuade you, perhaps we can get together one evening and play chess. I should enjoy challenging your mastery of tactics and strategy.”

Glorfindel sighed. “I had been hoping we could play a game of chess, but hearing you speak of it like that leaves me feeling like I should brace for war.”

“That won’t be necessary. Just be prepared to lose!”

He would never admit it, but Glorfindel knew full well which of them the superior strategist was. For all of his experience, it was not he. Lord Elrond would not have made Erestor second-in- command over Imladris unless his skill was outstanding. 

“Will you be available for a game tonight, Counselor? I’ve not allowed myself the pleasure of utterly crushing a scholar in centuries, and find myself looking forward to it.”

Erestor chuckled. “It is more likely that you have been frightened for centuries that a scholar would totally devastate your field of play. I am sorry, but I already have plans. Lindir wants to teach me to play tablero da gucci.”

A brilliant smile graced Glorfindel’s face on hearing those words. “My dear counselor, you are looking at one of the masters of the game. It is hard to believe that you do not know how. I don’t know Lindir well, but he looks awfully delicate to be much of a player. There is quite a lot of drinking involved.”

Erestor chuckled. “I’ll have to tell him that you said so. While he may appear delicate to one such as you, in mannerisms he is anything but. Lindir could drink us both under the table, and then proceed to play a melody so sweet as to make the Valar weep.” With a smirk, he added, “He asked if I played, not if I knew how. He cleared his schedule to teach me the intricacies of the game.”

Glorfindel shook his head. “Lord Elrond’s chief counselor and head minstrel embroiled in a drinking game...who would have thought it? Does the Lord of the Valley have any idea that two such illustrious elves play tablero?”

Erestor snickered. “We are playing on Lord Elrond’s board. He claims it anyway. Technically, it belongs to Gil-galad. The two of them used to play to blow off steam after a stressful day. There were many of stressful days back then.”

“You are going to play Lindir on a board formerly owned by the High King?”

“The words ‘Gil-galad was here’ are carved into the bottom side of the board. It is one of Lord Elrond’s prize possessions. You aren’t a true master of the game till you have defeated him.”

Changing the subject, Glorfindel said, “Something has been nagging at me. Have you ever undergone anything like the simulation that will be run at the end of the week?”

Erestor nodded.

“Good.” Glorfindel gave an audible sigh of relief. “You understand that nothing is personal. I’m just doing my job.”

“No worries, Glorfindel. I won’t hold a grudge.” 

Glorfindel looked over the document Erestor had corrected, and nodded in approval. “I suppose this can go straight to Lord Elrond since it has already had benefit of your review. Thank you for handling it. I’ll take it along when I go to the meeting this afternoon. Were it not for the visiting Galadhrim working with our archers, I would send you to the practice range. As it is, you will have to wait till after lunch. Other than that, you are through for the day.” 

Erestor noticed Glorfindel glance toward the window that looked out on the training ground and rose to leave. “I have an easy schedule today, but you do not. I shall leave you to it.”

Glorfindel smirked and said, “If Lindir beats you early enough, perhaps we can have that chess game tonight. I am not opposed to playing after you have had a bottle or two of spirits.”

As he walked out the door, Erestor looked over his shoulder and said, “It is the only way you have a chance of winning. We will be playing in my rooms after dinner. You are welcome to drop by.” Before Glorfindel could formulate a comeback, he was gone.

That afternoon, Erestor arrived at the archery range to find Elrohir and Haldir awaiting him, instead of Glorfindel. 

“Elrohir, Haldir, what a pleasant surprise!”

Haldir smiled. “We volunteered to come in Glorfindel’s place when he was called away. It has been a while since last seeing you with a bow.”

“A year at least,” added Elrohir.

Erestor smirked. “I can still out shoot you, Elrohir.”

“Can not!”

“Can, too!”

“Prove it!”

“A challenge!" Haldir exclaimed. "What is the wager, Erestor?”

Erestor paused, considered his options and began smiling madly. “If you win, I will buy you a new sword. If I win, I want four bottles of Celeborn’s Second Ager.”

“Four bottles? I am only getting one sword.” Elrohir protested.

“Your sword is going to be expensive, but the Second Ager only involves pilfering Celeborn’s wine cellar.” When Haldir looked uncomfortable, Erestor clarified. “Celeborn has two private cellars. Elrohir and Elladan have access to the larger of the two. Their grandfather sets aside a number of bottles that he knows will disappear when either of them visits. The wager stands. Do you agree Elrohir, or had you rather just admit defeat now and get it over with?” 

Elrohir hefted his bow and said, “The sword must be quality. I wouldn’t expect anything cheap from you, but want that to be stated for the record. Now, prepare to be schooled.”

Erestor exchanged glances with Haldir. In a teasing voice, Erestor said “The only elf here who can take me to school is Haldir.” 

For the next half hour Elrohir and Erestor traded shots. At length, Haldir declared Erestor to be the marginal victor. Erestor agreed to suggest to Lord Elrond that he buy his son a new sword. In turn, Elrohir agreed to part with four of the bottles of his grandfather’s Second Ager squirreled away in his room. 

At about the same time as the archery competition ended, Glorfindel strode into Lord Elrond’s office. He felt more upbeat than he had all week.

Lord Elrond was smiling, seeming to be at his ease. “Captain Glorfindel. Good, you’re here. I have been looking forward to our meeting. Any problems you would like to speak of before we begin?” 

“I am quite well, thank you. There are no problems.” replied Glorfindel.

Elrond furrowed his brow. “I am glad to hear it. Funny though, I heard various reports that you had my chief counselor holed up in your office for quite a while. I assumed that there must have been a problem since you were not working on his training requirements as planned. So there is no truth to it?”

Under his breath, Glorfindel said, “Elves gossip too much.”

“What was that?”

“Oh, it was nothing sir. I just meant to say, no.” Glorfindel shook his head in the negative. “There are no problems.” 

“Let us get on with the subject of this meeting then. Since it is Erestor who will be the main focus of the simulation you plan to run later in the week, I will present a challenge. He has been given information regarding a shipment. It will be for you to obtain that information. A chest will be delivered and planted in a specific location. It will be your goal to get enough information from Erestor to locate and retrieve the chest. Once you have it, you will bring it back to Imladris. However, the chest will only remain in that location for a fixed amount of time. After a three day period, it will be picked up and brought back to my office. 

“The chest will be well hidden, so it will not be found unless Erestor speaks. I have not informed him how much time you have. As in life, he will not know how long the questioning will continue. Spend tomorrow preparing, and let it begin the day after. This morning, I spoke with Marchwarden Haldir. He will assist in the exercise. Prince Legolas will observe, but not take part in any way. Do you have any questions?”

“Yes sir. Why will Haldir take part? What will his role be? Since this is an Imladris exercise, will he be subordinate to me?”

“Haldir will not be your subordinate. He will not interfere with your actions, and likewise you will not interfere with his. He will take part, as I believe it to be an important component in making this more realistic for Erestor. Trust me in this. Is there anything else?”

Glorfindel replied, “Yes sir. Does Prince Legolas have to be there? His presence will give Erestor added moral support. In life, he will not have a friend standing at the ready should anything go wrong.”

“As I said, he will not take part in any way. He will make no move to help either you or Erestor. He is a prince, Glorfindel. There are a great many things that he must know. Unfortunately, the art of war is chief among them at present. Learning and observing the ways of other Elven cultures is an important part of his education.”

“Lord Elrond, what you say is true, and I do understand it. It is just that King Thranduil is not always a friend to Imladris.”

Elrond cocked his head and answered, “He is a closer ally than perhaps you are aware. More than that, he is a close personal friend of my chief counselor. The only thing that Prince Legolas will be able to relate is the performance of those who take part, and Erestor is the only one that will be of any interest to King Thranduil. Do you anticipate something that I am unaware of?” 

Glorfindel thought for a moment and replied, “There is nothing specific. I still feel that his presence alone may be enough to affect Erestor’s behavior.”

Elrond shook his head. “If he is thinking about Prince Legolas while being questioned, you are not doing your job. Is there anything else?”

Just in case, Glorfindel asked “What, if any, limitations and restrictions am I under with regard to the methods used to obtaining the information?”

“Do not touch his face. Do not, and I cannot stress this enough, use any other elf as a threat to encourage him to talk. Specifically, you are to leave Prince Legolas alone. All I need is to have a visit by King Thranduil in his capacity as angry ada. Finally, do not let anyone forget that this is an exercise. He is not to come away permanently maimed or injured. Other than that, you have free rein.”

“Very well, let me repeat it back to you. I cannot touch his face, use Legolas against him or cause permanent injury. Other than that, I am free to use whatever means I see fit.”

Elrond nodded and stood. “There is one last thing. If he can’t hold his quill when he gets back, clear your calendar. You will be taking his dictation.” Glorfindel made a mental note to order that Erestor’s hands not be touched.

\-- -- -- --

The day couldn’t pass fast enough for Glorfindel. He found himself excited at the prospect of spending an evening with the beautiful chief counselor, even if for nothing more than a game of chess. An hour after dinner ended, Glorfindel arrived at the door to Erestor’s rooms. He knocked and was taken aback when Lord Elrond answered the door. 

“Come in! Erestor told us you might drop by.” Elrond smiled and returned to the tablero board. He was queen after all, so couldn’t dally about.

Glorfindel walked in to laughter. Lindir hooted and Elrond yelled “Orgasm!”

Lindir echoed, “Do it. Do it. Do it!

Glorfindel took a look at the three elves and said “Orgasm?”

Erestor grinned. “Lord Elrond swears this is a rule.”

Lord Elrond smiled and said, “Gil-galad said that he read about it, and insisted that it is valid. Thus, the rule stands.”

Glorfindel, still puzzled, asked, “What rule?” 

Lindir answered brightly. “The center line is called the Orgasm Line. If a player takes a line of seven, he has to shoot at least four while faking an orgasm.”

Glorfindel grinned. He had gotten away with making up many rules over his two lifetimes, but never had he been so creative. “I’ve never heard of that one, but who can argue with a high king?” 

“Will you take the line?” Lindir asked.

Erestor’s answer was to slam back the first two shots. He then licked his lips. 

What followed was possibly one of the best orgasms Glorfindel had ever witnessed.

After the final moan, Erestor slammed back the last shot. 

There was a shared moment of silence. 

Lindir’s mouth was open and his body had sunken down into the chair. As gifted as he was, the only comment he could come up with was ‘wow’.

When Lord Elrond gathered his wits about him, he realized that his body appreciated the excellent performance given by his chief counselor. It appreciated it quite a lot, in fact. Were things different, he would... It was best not to go there. 

Glorfindel was leaning against the couch, stunned. Wide eyed, he wondered what the real thing was like, if that was just faked for the sake of a game. 

Erestor grinned. “Why Lindir, it seems you aren’t able to refill the glasses. That gives me the victory.”

Lindir dumbly looked at the two empty bottles on his side of the board. Then he chuckled at them all. “You certainly won this round, but there will be a different outcome the next time!”

Erestor grinned slyly and poured from his bottle. “We will see. Let us partake of the toast round.” Glasses were passed to all, and a toast made. 

Immediately afterward, Lord Elrond snuck into the bathroom and took the situation in hand. Nobody gave the slightest indication that they were aware of his absence or the reason for it. Of course everyone knew, but they had all been there before. When he returned though, Erestor couldn’t help but snicker.

Lord Elrond looked at Glorfindel and smiled. The returned warrior was slightly old fashioned, yet it was evident that watching Erestor fake an orgasm hadn’t upset his moral code.

“Glorfindel, it looks as if you have missed your opportunity for a game. We are out of liquor.” 

Looking cocky and smug, Glorfindel replied “I’m here to defeat your chief counselor in a game of chess.” 

Erestor smirked.

Lindir rose to take his leave. “Good game, Erestor. You cheated, but did it quite well.” Lindir grinned lasciviously. “Now, I must get home to the wife. It is still early enough to talk her sister into taking the elflings for the night.”

Swaying just a bit, Erestor waved. “I enjoyed it, Lindir. Next time, maybe I’ll have the pleasure of seeing what you do with a pull of the orgasm line. Tell your lovely wife hello.” 

Lord Elrond cocked his head. “You want to play a game of chess? Erestor has played two games of tablero; one against me and the other against Lindir. That gives you quite the advantage, Glorfindel.”

“Earlier today, I assured your counselor that I have no qualms about playing an inebriated opponent.” Glorfindel looked at Erestor appraisingly and nodded. “No worries. In fact, I was remiss in not bringing a bottle along.”

Erestor looked at Lord Elrond, who snickered. “This won’t take long. Have a seat.”

Indeed it did not take long. Within a few moves, Glorfindel found himself checked with no way out. He puzzled over the board, wondering how it had happened. “I never considered that you might be a better player after consuming massive amounts of alcohol.” He moved a knight, knowing it was his doom.

“Checkmate.”

Lord Elrond patted Glorfindel on the shoulder. “Liquor doesn’t aid his game, Glorfindel. It is just something at which he is incredibly good. I’ve never beaten him, nor to my knowledge have any residing in Imladris.” He leaned in and whispered with a slightly drunken slur, “Stick to drinking games if you want to win. He is pretty good, but he can be beat.” Then, of all things, the Lord of the Valley giggled. “And it is a lot more fun when you lose.”

Erestor gathered up the glasses and empty bottles, while Glorfindel examined the tablero board. “This has seen a lot of use.”

Lord Elrond nodded. “It holds lots of memories.” He then wrapped it in felt cloth and slipped it into its case. Few were as careful with a tablero board as he. 

“Come, Lord Elrond. I’ll walk you to your rooms.” Glorfindel shook his head and looked at Erestor. “He doesn’t have much to do tomorrow, but we do.”

After they left, Erestor finished cleaning up and thought of the headache he would have the next morning. Dwarven liquor had been responsible for some of his most memorable hangovers. He managed to slip out of his clothes, but once he sat on the bed, there was no getting up. He fell asleep before managing to get under the covers.   
\-- -- -- --

Glorfindel didn’t get to sleep right away. The darkling elf had managed to awaken feelings that normally were easily kept in check. Lord Elrond hadn’t been the only elf affected by his performance. That he didn’t hesitate or flinch, but took all seven shots instead of just the four required by the rules, raised his level of respect. Even he would pause before slamming back seven! The elf can hold his liquor. That was unexpected. For some reason, he hadn’t expected a scholar to be adept at drinking games. It was more of a warrior’s sport. 

The next day, Haldir met with Glorfindel to discuss how Erestor’s test would be run. Both elves were well versed in loosening the tongue of an enemy. It didn’t take long for Glorfindel to come to the conclusion that their combined experience would make success highly probable.

“I do not know the Counselor well, but that he is a scholar works against his chance to come through the ordeal without breaking. His body is not accustomed to abuse. In his case, it will be more a question of mental strength,” commented Glorfindel.

Haldir had some reservations, but his face remained expressionless. “I do know him. You will do well not to underestimate him. That he is a scholar will not adversely affect his ability to resist questioning as much as you seem to think.” Although he didn’t say as much, he knew that Erestor was mentally much tougher than the warrior realized. He was interested to learn how Glorfindel would adapt when Erestor did not react in the way he anticipated. 

Glorfindel mused, “Ah. That means Erestor may have more of an idea what to expect from you.”

Haldir’s eyes hardened. That would work in their favor, not Erestor’s. “In my opinion, it will make him more nervous to know what is coming than to guess what could be.” 

\-- -- -- --

The next morning Erestor dressed in simple clothing; a loose white cotton tunic, black leggings and everyday shoes. His thick black hair was allowed to flow freely down his back with no extra ornamentation. He had risen earlier than usual, which was a good thing. 

Guards arrived shortly after the breakfast chime sounded. As he opened the door to leave for the dining hall, he was gruffly taken and his hands bound behind his back. They took him to dungeons set away from the house and far under the ground. After descending several flights of stairs, he was brought into one of the interrogation rooms. Glorfindel, Haldir and Leihon entered shortly thereafter. Prince Legolas watched from an adjoining room. 

Glorfindel’s second-in-command, Leihon, was directed to shackle Erestor’s wrists above his head to chains bolted into the ceiling. Even with hands bound behind his back, Erestor fought the warrior well, but finally Glorfindel kicked his feet out from under him. Quickly, he and Leihon were on him, holding him firmly in place. Haldir came behind him and brought his forearm around his neck, cutting off blood flow to the brain. By that point Erestor’s struggles were fruitless, and he passed out within seconds.

Erestor’s arms were spread wide and wrists shackled above his head. His legs were then spread apart and shackled by rings bolted into the floor. He was only out for a couple of minutes, so was spared whatever had been planned for resuscitation. 

In an almost friendly voice, Leihon said, “You are completely at our mercy elf, but there is no reason to fear. Just tell us what we want to know and you will be released. Where will the chest be delivered?” 

When Erestor remained silent, Leihon ran a finger down his ear and said, “Resistance will only make this unnecessarily difficult. I am prepared to be reasonable, but my superiors are not so patient. If you speak now, I can ensure that you are unharmed. If you don’t speak, I cannot protect you. You are not the only elf who was taken prisoner this morning. They won’t hesitate to kill the others if you remain silent. If not for your own sake, then for theirs, just answer my question. Where is the location?”

Erestor remained silent, and wondered if they really expected him to talk. 

Without warning, Glorfindel stepped forward and backhanded him. “Tell me where they are delivering the chest. Make no mistake; I take great pleasure in breaking elves.” Then he grabbed Erestor’s jaw roughly. “Talk!”

“No.”

Glorfindel walked to the side of the room, returning with a long black whip. He wrapped it once around his fist, then leaned in and said, “You will regret that decision.”

Leihon gathered Erestor’s hair and swept it over his shoulders away from his back. As his shirt was ripped away, Leihon whispered, “Just say the words. Once he begins, they will not allow me to intercede.”

“No.”

Leihon withdrew and left the room, as Glorfindel circled around to face Erestor. What he saw was unnerving. The dark eyes pierced his very soul. This was the object, of course. This same tactic was used in negotiations, where it worked quite well.

Glorfindel’s eyes swept over Erestor’s body as he walked past to take his place behind him. The whip unfurled and cracked the air once before lashes rained down on Erestor’s back. His back was torn again and again. The pale skin turned red and raw. Finally, blood began to mingle with sweat. Through it all muscles remained taught, head unbowed and he made not a sound.

Finally, Glorfindel stopped and walked around to face the bloody elf. “Have you had enough? Are you ready to tell me the location of the chest? I can do this all day.”

Erestor glared at the blond then responded, “Fuck you.”

That gained him a fist in the gut. 

“Ooomph”

Then Glorfindel tangled his hand in Erestor’s hair and jerked cruelly. “You should have talked while you had the chance.” 

Haldir and Glorfindel departed from the room without another word. The intention was to give Erestor time to wonder and worry about what was coming next. 

When next they appeared, Glorfindel was carrying a many tailed whip whose ends were tipped in silver. However quite unexpectedly, it was Haldir who stepped forward. He held a dagger and did not look pleased. The look on his face was enough to make Erestor wince. Glorfindel was one thing, but Haldir with a knife was quite another. Even had he not known what Haldir was capable of, he would have been an intimidating sight. Being very practiced at schooling his features, Erestor forced his face to remain impassive. Although he did not look it, he was intimidated and fairly certain that the Marchwarden suspected as much.

The dagger was dragged across his chest, leaving a fine line. It was then placed to his throat. “I wonder if you will enjoy this as much as I intend to.” 

Erestor gulped. He was fairly sure that he would not.

Slowly, the dagger cut the ties of Erestor’s leggings. Haldir then circled behind and cut the fabric completely away. As the dagger traveled down Erestor’s legs, it left long red lines to mark its passage. As Haldir stood, he began to trace the inner thighs. He then stopped and whispered in Erestor’s ear. 

What was said, Glorfindel did not know, but it made Erestor pale. He shook his head in the negative, closed his eyes and bit his lips.

Glorfindel then saw Erestor stiffen, and the dagger dip between his legs. It flicked to the side followed by Haldir’s hand. A ping sounded as a small bar and cap hit the floor. Obviously he had known of the piercing. Glorfindel imagined that he had not removed the jewelry gently, but the lack of blood indicated that he had shown skill and care not to cause injury. Still, it made him queasy just to think about it.

Silently, Glorfindel walked behind Erestor. He ran his hand over the ruined back causing Erestor to hiss in pain. At this, he and Haldir exchanged a knowing glance. Unseen by Erestor, Glorfindel handed Haldir the many tailed whip before taking over the questioning. 

“Where is the damned chest? Are the contents worth your life?” 

If looks could kill, Glorfindel would be dead on the spot. Suddenly the silver tipped whip came down on his back hard. Haldir had not held back. Erestor bit his lips as his body arced with the force of the blow.

“I am going to enjoy this. Scream for me, and I might stop.” Haldir said coldly.

Glorfindel saw the smirk that Haldir did not. “I don’t think that you have a clue what it takes to make me scream.” Erestor wasn’t sure that was an accurate statement, but it sounded good.

Haldir loudly whispered, “Oh, but I think I do.” Then he stepped back and the lashes began once again. Erestor’s body jerked each time the metal tips came down on his torn flesh. Every so often he would pause and say, “Scream for me Erestor”. There would be no reply, so he would begin again. At this, he was a master. He took great care to cause intense pain but not permanent injury.

Glorfindel allowed it to continue for a few minutes before motioning Haldir to stop. Any further and he would lash Erestor to the point of unconsciousness. The pain was intense, and he did not intend to allow it to abate. So far the elf had not uttered a sound save for sucking air and hurling curses their way. Now it was time to allow Erestor to hang for a while, not knowing what would come next or when. 

That is when Prince Legolas left. He felt that he had seen more than enough. Their techniques had failed to elicit information, but he was convinced that it was only because of Erestor's mental toughness. 

Glorfindel and Haldir extinguished the candles as they left. They left Erestor in the dark, turned so his back was to the door. He was left alone, giving him a chance to relax, to the extent that the situation allowed it. His back stung badly. It would need the attention of healers. So far, that had been the worst of it. Since it was not working to loosen his tongue, they would need to change tactics. Not knowing Glorfindel well, he did not know what he might try next. 

By mentally centering himself, Erestor succeeded in bringing about a calm state of mind. Finally, he started yawning. He didn’t know how much time passed till he heard the door to the cell open. Dim candlelight shone from somewhere behind him. He felt a presence approach before a sash was tied around his eyes. He listened to the elf’s footsteps as he moved around the room, but had no idea to whom they belonged. A hand was then held over his mouth firmly, and a burning herb or mixture of some type held near his nose. Although he tried not to breathe it in, he soon became dizzy and began sweating profusely. His felt his heartbeat becoming more rapid, and images swirled before him. He had been drugged. It sounded like the elf had left the room, but he couldn’t be sure.

 

Erestor felt his head becoming light, and tried to fight the drug’s effects. He was not as studied in herbal lore as he wished. It would take all of his concentration to remain cognizant of the difference between the real world and that of drug induced fantasy. Had Erestor been in his right mind, he would have realized that the drug was far stronger than what would be used on a friend.

\-- -- -- --

In the wee hours of the morning just before dawn, Lord Elrond came awake with a start. Something was not right. Vilya sensed danger. He threw on a robe and quickly went to Glorfindel’s chambers. 

Pounding on the door brought Glorfindel up and out of his bed in a panic. As soon as he saw Lord Elrond standing in the hall, he knew something serious had happened. “My Lord, what has occurred?”

“Something is badly wrong in Imladris. Vilya says there is danger here. I want the guard to search the house and grounds. You and I are going to the dungeon.”

It was very dark in the dungeon, so Glorfindel lit a small torch and led the way. They looked in each room as they descended the staircase. Finally, they heard a barely audible noise. Both ran the rest of the way to Erestor’s cell. 

Erestor’s head drooped, his breathing was shallow and his body was wracked with tremors. While Glorfindel lit the room’s candles and mounted his torch to the wall, Lord Elrond looked carefully for indications of what had happened. 

“There is a lingering aroma of burning herbs. I don’t recognize the scent.” Few herbs were unfamiliar to Lord Elrond. He removed the sash covering Erestor’s eyes. “Help me get him down.”

Glorfindel carefully held Erestor’s body while Lord Elrond removed the restraints. The elf was almost dead weight. Glorfindel brought a cot in from an adjacent cell in order to avoid moving him any more than necessary. 

“Glorfindel call off the search, but bring guards when you return. Someone did this on purpose. Also, I want you to personally find Haldir and have him meet us in the healing wing. Who was the last elf with Erestor tonight?”

“My second-in-command, Leihon, was here when Haldir and I left for the evening. I gave him a small amount of passion flower to use as a mild tranquilizer. It was just supposed to make Erestor drowsy. Surely it didn’t do this.” 

“It did not, now go.”

Glorfindel practically ran up the stairs. As soon as he neared the House, he saw both twins assisting in the search. He told them to call it off and prepare the healing wing for Erestor. Then he snagged one of his lieutenants, and told him to gather twelve guards and follow him. He ran into Haldir on the way and gave him Lord Elrond’s instructions before racing back.

Lord Elrond knelt over the cot anxiously. “He is overdosed on a strong hallucinogen. Help me get him to the healing wing. I want the rest of you to scour the complex for anything that might give us a clue as to who did this thing.”

Once in the healing wing, Lord Elrond went into high gear. Charcoal was used as a detoxifying agent. Erestor’s wounds were cleaned, but further attention had to wait till the effects of the drug had passed. It was an hour before the drug began to loosen its hold.

Finally, the healer in Lord Elrond started to relax and the ruler of the valley emerged. The twins remained in the healing wing, while Glorfindel accompanied Lord Elrond to his private study. 

“Ideas, Glorfindel. Who could have done this and why?” 

This had been uppermost in the warrior’s mind ever since learning that Erestor would live. “As to who, I have guards looking for Leihon. He was the last one to see Erestor before he was drugged. The more frightening question is why someone would do this. We ran the test to see if he could be induced into speaking of secrets. Could someone have actually taken the opportunity to make the test reality?”

Lord Elrond nodded. “That was my thought as well. Speak with Leihon and then see if your guards have found anything useful. I need to return to Erestor. When you learn something, come get me.” 

When Lord Elrond returned to Erestor’s side, he was still mildly under the drug's influence. 

Lord Elrond stroked the raven hair and asked, “What do you see, Erestor?”

“I see smoke and fire. There are fire drakes and orcs. Two elves are lying dead beside me. They think that I am dead too.”

“Are you in much pain?”

“Yes.”

“What hurts?”

Erestor’s face contorted. “My back hurts where the orc blade hit. It hurts badly.”

Lord Elrond gave him an herbal tea to help speed the effects of the detoxification. Once Erestor had been laid on his stomach to rest, Lord Elrond motioned for Haldir to walk outside with him.

“Allowing Erestor to go through this week’s tests was a cover. In reality, he was working on uncovering the identity of a spy in our midst. From the events of the evening, it looks like the spy got to him first. I would ask that you remain at his side tonight. As a Galadhrim, you cannot be ordered away by anyone. I am going to have to leave to speak with Glorfindel. He knows nothing of this, since the leak came from within his office. There is much that the two of us must discuss.”

Ten minutes later, Lord Elrond was looking into the face of a furious balrog slayer. “We found Leihon just outside Imladris, trying to flee. He fell on his sword before being apprehended. We will never know who put him up to this or why. His secrets died with him.”

Lord Elrond looked grim. “I do not believe he got anything of use. There is more to my chief counselor than you are aware. His training has been thorough. No drug such as that used tonight can penetrate the blocks in his mind."

“Why wasn’t I told that this testing was unnecessary?” Glorfindel asked.

“Erestor was investigating a problem that was traced back to your office. We did not have proof of the spy’s identity until tonight. Erestor suspected Leihon, but even though I value his opinion highly, I required that he obtain proof.” Lord Elrond narrowed his eyes slightly. “Leihon got to him first.”

Glorfindel nodded. “Haldir knows about Erestor, doesn’t he? You could have trusted me with this information, but I am glad that you did not. I could not be as cold to a friend as he.”

“Haldir knows that he has talents other than those of my chief counselor. There was an incident many years ago, where they found themselves in a...difficult...position. Both Haldir and Erestor had to utilize all of their skills to extricate themselves. They learned quite a lot about each other over a short period of time.”

//That is probably when he learned of the guiche piercing.// thought Glorfindel.

“Erestor will be griping about being kept against his will in the healing wing by now. It is only a matter of time before he breaks out, so I’d best return and take care of his back.” Lord Elrond hoped he wasn’t too late. The only patient who was worse than Erestor was Glorfindel.

After Lord Elrond’s departure, Glorfindel stepped outside and looked up at the stars. It had been a close call, but Erestor would be alright. There was just one thing that could not be saved. Idly he wondered whether that couldn’t be resolved as well. Perhaps as Captain of the Guard, it was his responsibility to try.


	3. Stuck

Lord Elrond rushed back to the healing wing just in time to hear Erestor voice the opinion that he was well enough to leave. As he had expected, Erestor was about ready to make a break for it. 

“Settle down, Erestor. I am going to take care of your back before letting you go anywhere.” The slices left by the dagger were superficial. Some of the slashes left by the silver tipped whip were not. For the most part it looked worse than it was, but three were truly bad wounds that would require stitches.

Lord Elrond winced in sympathy a few times as he cleaned the wounds. “I am going to have to apply stitches to three places. There is no other way. I know you hate to be drugged, and especially after tonight. However, I want you to drink a sip or two of this herbal tea. It will make you drowsy, but will cut the pain. I can’t have you moving when I am trying to stitch you up.”

Erestor didn’t have to be asked twice. The thought of Lord Elrond taking a needle to his back was enough to convince him to drink anything. It was a few minutes before the effects began to take hold. When they did though, Erestor closed his eyes and relaxed. His back was almost numb.

It didn’t take Lord Elrond long to stitch up the wounds. Once that was done, he placed salve on the minor cuts and declared him fit to leave, but with a stern warning. “For the next two days, be careful not to get your stitches wet. I also want you to avoid bending as much as possible. If you do something that causes those stitches to rip, I will confine you to bed until every cut on your back is healed.”

“No need to get nasty about it. I will be careful.” Erestor said on his way out the door. 

\-- -- -- --

Indeed, Erestor was true to his word. Because of his back, he only wore leggings the next day. That meant that he couldn’t go to work or even the dining hall. Instead, he stayed in his quarters and relaxed. After work Glorfindel paid him a visit. 

“You look much better than the last time I saw you.” remarked Glorfindel. “Are you alright? No hard feelings?”

Erestor mumbled an unintelligible response. This was probably a good thing, as the question had not elicited particularly kind thoughts. However, the nervous expression on Glorfindel’s face betrayed that the warrior really was concerned. 

“You were doing your job, just as I was doing mine. There are no hard feelings. However, had you asked that same question a few hours ago when Lord Elrond took a needle to my back, the answer might not have been the same. Your timing is impeccable.”

Glorfindel stepped closer. “I brought a little get well gift.” He held out a small box. “I wanted to replace it.”

“I didn’t expect a gift.” Erestor grinned. He opened the box to find a tiny half loop for his piercing. “Thank you!” Then he sighed. “I don’t suppose the skin has healed over yet, but there is no way that I’m going to be able to put it on for a while. I’ve got stitches, and if I tear them Lord Elrond has threatened to confine me to bed.” It was obvious that Glorfindel didn’t understand what one thing had to do with the other. “There is bending involved.”

“Ah” Glorfindel cocked his head for a moment. “I suppose that I could put it on for you, since I am one of the elves responsible for losing the other one.”

“Um...”

“Oh, come on. I’m just fixing the piercing. You aren’t that shy.” 

Erestor pursed his lips. “There is a big difference between looking and touching. That is a pretty personal area Glorfindel.”

“Well it isn’t like I haven’t seen it before. Really, all I am doing is putting this little thing in the piercing. I promise not to become aroused, if that will help.”

Erestor blushed. “I cannot believe that I am even considering this. You have to swear that you will tell nobody about this.”

Although Glorfindel’s grin was far from convincing, he said, “I promise not to tell anyone that you let me poke metal objects near your bits.”

It went against his better judgment, but Erestor nodded his assent. “This is so embarrassing. Really, I could just wait till Lord Gildor’s company pays a visit and...”

“You let Gildor down there?”

“I am going to pay Haldir back for this. It may take millennia to think of something suitable, but I will do it,” promised Erestor.

Glorfindel rolled up his sleeves. “Assume the position; hands and knees Erestor.” 

Erestor slid out of his leggings, and crawled up on the bed. “I have done some crazy things in my life, but this has to rank at the top.” He felt exposed and shy. “This isn’t a good idea, Glorfindel.”

“Nonsense. We are both ellon and this isn’t about sex. Well, it sort of is, but you know what I mean.” Glorfindel took a moment to appreciate the view. “Now, spread your legs just a little more. That is good; right there.” Since he had never done anything like this before, it took a bit of maneuvering and concentration to find the right spot and angle.

When he spotted the target, Glorfindel removed the cap that would hold the jewel in place once affixed. His hands shook a little, but he was able to get the ring started through the hole. Carefully, he pushed taking great pains to keep it level rather than angling up. Then he dropped the cap that was to hold it in place. Automatically, he grabbed for it. That is when disaster struck.

“Shite!” 

Suddenly, Erestor’s stomach sunk. You never want to hear somebody curse when working with body art.

“What?”

“Nothing. Don’t move.”

The reply was a little too quick to suit Erestor. “What do you mean don’t move. I am being still.”

Grumbling was followed by, “What I mean is that I’m stuck.”

“Huh?”

Squirming and more grumbling followed until Glorfindel finally answered. “Stuck, as in my ring has hung on the catch to your jewelry.”

Erestor looked over his shoulder and pursed his lips.

“Remove your ring then.”

Glorfindel was trying to do just that. “It is too tight. The catch has jammed into the metal inlay on my ring. We are well and truly stuck.” 

Erestor was mortified. “How on Arda did you do that?”

The reply was unintelligible.

“Could we cut it off?” Erestor asked.

“With the right tool, sure we can cut the jewelry. But even if we had such a thing, reaching it would be problematic right now.” Glorfindel was unconvinced that Erestor had really thought that through. “Besides, do you really want me cutting on things down here?”

“Well do you have any better ideas?” said a flustered Erestor.

“Calling for help has crossed my mind.”

“No!”

Glorfindel lowered his head in defeat. “You are supposed to be one of the smartest elves in Arda. Come up with something.”

“Would oil help at all? If I can reach inside the drawer of my night stand, there is a small vial of oil that I was using on my dagger a couple of nights ago. I think that there is hand salve, too.”

Glorfindel lifted his head. “Can you reach it?”

Slowly and very carefully, they synchronized their moves till Erestor could just reach the drawer. He went down onto an elbow for better balance, and blindly fumbled around in the drawer. He tossed out two small bottles, one of which he hoped was the oil. 

Luckily, the first bottle was indeed the oil. Glorfindel used his teeth to uncork it and dribbled a goodly amount over his finger. At first it looked like it would work. However, just as his knuckle was about to slide through the metal, it became stuck again. 

“Ugh. Now it is worse.” 

Erestor made a pitiful sound of distress. 

“Erestor, we are going to have to wait for someone to pay you a visit. This simply isn’t working. Now would be a good time to begin considering just payment for Haldir.”

At first, Erestor couldn’t think of anyone who might drop by. Then it hit him. “Elrohir is coming by this evening. He is going to check on my back. I just hope he comes here before going to the Hall of Fire.”

The thought of Elrohir finding them like this was horrifying to both elves. However, neither was able to come up with an alternative. Finally they resigned themselves to finding a relatively comfortable position and waiting it out.

Almost two hours later, there was a knock on the door. “Elrohir, if that is you come on in. The door isn’t locked.”

“Are you ready?” Elrohir asked.

“Um...Are you alone?”

Casually Elrohir responded, “No, Elladan is with me. Where are you, the bedroom?” 

Glorfindel muttered, “Right now, I wouldn’t care if it were Lady Galadriel herself.”

“Yes. Elladan, do you mind waiting in the living room for a second? Elrohir, we have a situation.”

The twins looked at one another. “We do?”

Erestor shook his head. “Glorfindel and I do. He is stuck.”

That is when Elrohir appeared. “Oh my.” Then he started chuckling. The longer he looked, the funnier it got. Soon he was in the throes of an uncontrollable belly laugh. Through tears of laughter he beckoned, “Elladan, come here. You’ve got to see this.”

Erestor closed his eyes, too embarrassed for words. Glorfindel glared. The twins howled. When they crowded near for a better look, it only got worse. In between peals of laughter, Elladan asked “How on Arda did you do that?”

“Glorfindel wanted to make up for a piercing bar that became lost during his tests, so he bought me a half hoop. Since I am hardly in condition to put it on and the skin will grow over soon, he decided to take care of it himself.” Erestor looked over his shoulder and said, “Do not ask me how he managed to get his ring stuck, as I have no idea.”

“I was trying to do a good thing.” was Glorfindel’s indignant reply. “Accidents happen. You can hardly fault me if it didn’t go as planned. I tried.”

Elrohir cleared his throat in an attempt to stem the laughter before investigating. “Let me have a look.” Glorfindel’s finger was getting red from swelling and it was apparent that Erestor couldn’t be comfortable either. “I will see about getting something to cut the ring off.”

Glorfindel groaned. “I really love this ring. Can’t you cut the end off of the other thing?”

“No. It might slide inside Erestor and Ada would have to cut it out.”

Erestor’s eyes got huge. “The ring be damned. I don’t want Lord Elrond cutting anything down there!”

Glorfindel sighed.

Elladan gleefully said, “The jeweler is not going to be in his shop till morning. I have a dagger though; perhaps we could take the finger. I’m sure Ada could reattach it.”

Elrohir then offered, “I bet if we asked Ada, he would have a few ideas.”

“No, there will be no telling your father! It is bad enough that you two know,” Erestor said. 

“Come on Elladan. Let’s find something to cut Glorfindel's ring off.”

The twins sputtered and laughed their way toward the door. Before they walked out, Elladan was heard to say, “We could poke around the healing wing. The surgical instruments are sharp. Oh, I know. There is a saw for cutting bone. That should be able to cut that ring right off.” 

Neither Glorfindel nor Erestor could vocalize their feelings in that moment. It was too bad for words. Finally Erestor whispered, “Elrohir is better with the bone saw than Elladan.” Glorfindel urgently tried the oil once again, but it was a no go. 

“I have lain here for hours with the hand of one of the best looking elves in Imladris an inch from...” Erestor caught himself. He hadn’t meant to speak those thoughts.

Glorfindel smiled. “You think that I am one of the best looking elves here?”

“Yes I do, as does every other elf in Imladris. However unlike them, I have the distinction of having you in my bed and between my legs, while not feeling even the slightest bit aroused.” Erestor chuckled. “No one would believe it even were I to tell them....which I won’t.”

“I could change that for you.” Glorfindel winced. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

Erestor looked over his shoulder. “It would be harder than you think at the moment.”

When the twins returned, it was not with a bone saw. Instead, they had gone to the jeweler’s quarters, and brought the elf back with them. He came in with an odd looking instrument and wearing a smile. Erestor groaned and Glorfindel tried ineffectively to hide his face. 

After telling them that there was no reason to feel embarrassed and managing to keep a straight face when doing so, the jeweler made short work of Glorfindel’s ring. Before leaving, Erestor promised to raise his stipend, upgrade his quarters and enlarge his shop in return for silence. The jeweler just waved him off. He was honest enough to tell Erestor not to bother, because nobody would believe him anyway.


	4. Second Ager and Tablero

Two nights passed before Glorfindel and Erestor spoke again. Everyone was leaving the dining hall when Lord Elrond invited Glorfindel to accompany him to the Hall of Fire. It was the end of the week, and there was to be tablero and Second Ager that night. 

The first tablero game was between the twins, and Elladan won. However, he met his match when he challenged his sister. Arwen drank him under the table, and took home the victory. It was then that the young elves stood aside. The real play started when Lord Elrond took his seat at the table. He easily defeated Erestor and Glorfindel. However, victory against Lindir was a good deal harder to come by. 

By the time Lord Elrond beat Lindir, he was totally trashed. Since he was a happy drunk, he decided to help one of his dear friends out. "Erestor, you have a good life here. You have a good job, excellent friends and a lovely place to call home."

Everyone smiled, including Erestor who was waiting for the ‘but’ in the sentence. He didn’t have to wait long.

Lord Elrond’s smile took on a slightly sly quality. 

//Here it comes. //

"So, when are you getting married? It is long past due."

Erestor choked. Glorfindel stifled a smile...or tried to. The twins snickered. Lindir nodded enthusiastically. Arwen looked on expectantly. 

Although it was destined to fail, and Erestor knew it, he tried to convince his lord that he was old enough to make such decisions for himself. "Lord Elrond, you do recall how old I am? Don’t you think it is about time to stop asking?"

Lord Elrond was unphased. "Erestor, do you recall how many millennia old I am? Don’t be cheeky. Answer the question. You need a mate."

Lindir piped up. "I’ve been telling him that for years."

After glaring at Lindir, Erestor replied, "I haven’t met anyone that interests me in that way; at least no-one who is available."

Lord Elrond drunkenly huffed. "Have you even been looking? I dare say you have not, otherwise you would have been happily bonded by now."

Erestor looked pleadingly. "Glorfindel, make him stop!"

Glorfindel shrugged. "I want to know too."

Lord Elrond turned to the entire table. "Tell me, who here thinks that there is a shortage of eligible elves in Imladris that are compatible with Erestor?"

The answer wasn’t what Erestor had hoped for. Elrohir said, "Actually, there are many elves that have shown interest in Erestor. To my knowledge, he has ignored all of their advances." 

The smug look on his lord’s face made Erestor cringe. 

Lindir cheerfully offered, "I could give you a few names."

"What attributes would you want in a mate?" asked Arwen.

Erestor looked at the ceiling and shook his head. If he didn’t answer her, the questions would get progressively worse. "Fine, I prefer a male. He must have a good body and..."

Elladan interrupted. "Be more specific. Do you mean lithe and willowy, ripped and muscular, tall, short, soft body, hard body..."

Erestor gave him a lopsided grin. "He should be a tall ellon with a ripped and muscular hard body."

Arwen mused, "That eliminates the office staff and house elves; perhaps a warrior then." This got the attention of Glorfindel. 

The little group of friends all waited intently for Erestor to continue. None of them were completely sober and any advice given, highly suspect. As often happens, that didn’t stop them from volunteering it.

Erestor warmed to the subject. "He needs to be intelligent, yet not bookish. He must enjoy both physical and intellectual entertainment; riding in particular."

Elladan grinned evilly. "You like to ride?"

Being slightly inebriated, Erestor didn’t catch the double entendre. He answered, "Yes quite a bit, but don’t get the opportunity to as often as I’d like."

Lindir snorted, the twins laughed and Arwen almost spewed wine. That is when Erestor caught the double meaning. "I meant horses!" he protested.

"Sure you did," came the reply from all around the table.

Lord Elrond had been listening, and carefully ticking off candidates. "Do you have a preference when it comes to hair color? What about the color of his eyes?"

Erestor pretended to think about it for a while. In reality, he didn’t care. "I think that I’d be more attracted to light hair. Blue or green eyes would be beautiful with light hair, so either of those shades."

As if on cue, Glorfindel reached for a wine bottle. Lord Elrond raised a speculative eyebrow, causing all to follow his gaze. Glorfindel realized that all eyes were on him, and smiled weakly. 

Erestor bowed his head and chuckled. He hoped the warrior wasn’t easily embarrassed.

Arwen scooted a chair over and patted the seat. "Glorfindel, why don’t you come sit by me."

//Uh oh// thought Erestor. 

Erestor whispered to Lord Elrond, "Eye candy, but I am not his type." 

Lindir leaned back in his chair and mouthed ‘he’s the one’ and gave the thumbs up.

Arwen turned to Glorfindel and asked, "Who are you seeing right now? Do you have a lover at present?"

// Well done, Arwen. // thought Lord Elrond.

"I am not involved with anyone."

//Excellent.// thought both of the twins.

Lindir’s grin was wicked when he said, "Hearing that Erestor likes to ride got me to wondering. You enjoy riding, don’t you Glorfindel? Have you ridden with Erestor?"

Elrohir topped off Erestor’s glass which he downed in one go. The glass was filled again and the bottle left.

Glorfindel wasn’t as slow on the uptake as Erestor had been. "You like to ride, do you?"

"Er..."

"You should have told me. It would have been so much more enjoyable. The next time..."

The twins were cracking up. Everyone else looked at Erestor.

"There won’t be a next time! If you think that I am going to let you try that again, you have got to be out of your mind." Erestor blanched when he realized what he had said.

Glorfindel chuckled. "Perhaps it is for the best. The ring was so tight on my finger that it was two days before the feeling returned."

Arwen coughed uncontrollably. 

"Er..."

While Elladan pounded on his sister’s back, Elrohir came to the rescue in a manner of speaking. "Glorfindel, why don’t you take Erestor for a stroll? I think he could use some fresh air."

Erestor’s eyes widened. 

Lord Elrond said, "That is an excellent idea. I am certain that Erestor would like to escape."

To everyone’s utter amazement and enjoyment, Lord Glorfindel invited Erestor to go stargazing and he accepted. When they left taking the last bottle of Second Ager with them, nobody but Lindir knew what to say.

"It’s about time!"

\-- -- -- --

Erestor was surprised when Lord Glorfindel went in the opposite direction from the gardens. Instead, he took Erestor’s hand and led him to the little rise in back of the smithy. There was a small trail, not often used, which led up to a low overhang. This is where Glorfindel stopped. Both elves stretched out under the starry sky and enjoyed the view. It was spectacular.

"Lord Elrond was right about one thing. I really wanted to escape. Volunteering you to go for a walk was out of line, though," Erestor said.

Glorfindel smiled softly. "Had I not wished to look at the stars with you, I would not have asked."

A thrill went through Erestor’s system. "In that case, I am glad you asked."

"Do you really like riding, Erestor?" asked Glorfindel.

"Yes." 

Glorfindel asked, "Would you like to take a midnight ride?"

"No, I tend to get too rough to ride when drunk." Erestor grinned wickedly. "It isn’t fair to my mount."

Glorfindel nodded. "I tend to be gentler when drunk. My warrior instincts are relaxed, so my mount enjoys a lighter touch."

The two elves looked at one another appraisingly. Both of them were thinking the same thing. Should they, or shouldn’t they. Both hoped that the other would make the first move. When it didn’t happen, they started drinking again. 

Each elf was thinking of the other, and not their alcohol consumption. After an hour or so, Erestor grinned goofily. "I think we have both had enough. We belong in bed before we pass out." 

Glorfindel thought that silly grin to be enchanting. He answered, "I’ll walk you to your room." 

Similarly minded, Erestor rose and held out his hand. As they walked down the hall, there was much shushing and stifled laughter at nothing in particular. When they reached Erestor’s quarters, they both seemed to sober somewhat. Erestor was still very happy, but not completely trashed. He wasn’t of the mind to instigate much more than a friendly farewell.

Thankfully, Erestor had not locked his door. The rooms were dark, but the window was open and some moonlight shown through. It was bright enough to allow him to easily light a few candles. However, he never made it that far. He turned to tell Glorfindel good night, only to discover that he had followed him inside. 

Glorfindel walked him backward and kicked the door closed. Glorfindel pushed Erestor against the wall and pinned his hands at the side of his head. Passion and lust were reflected in the warrior's blue eyes. Erestor gasped, but not out of fear. Both were aroused and the sexual tension palpable. 

Outside his work environment, Erestor loved the unexpected and spontaneous things in life. A passionate Glorfindel pinning him against a wall certainly qualified. For a breathlessly singular moment, the elves just stared at one another. The moment passed, and passion won. Glorfindel crushed Erestor’s body against his own. There was no soft brush of lips or gentle caress. Glorfindel claimed Erestor’s mouth in a bruising kiss.

Erestor responded to the kiss, fully returning the passion and desire reflected in the warrior's touch. In the back of his mind, he knew that they had too much to drink, and that it would be a mistake to allow this to continue to its logical conclusion. However, the voice at the forefront of his mind was screaming ‘Oh Valar.’ This only grew louder and more insistent when Glorfindel ground his arousal into Erestor’s own. 

Both elves were inebriated, but Erestor held on to a sliver of rational thought. Inwardly he sighed, resigned to behaving as he should rather than as he wished. It took more than a little effort, but he managed to push Glorfindel back a couple of steps.

"We have had too much to drink. When I mentioned bed earlier, it was with the intention of passing out." Actually, other thoughts had crossed his mind, but the warrior didn’t need to know that. "Come on. Since you are here, let me take you to bed before you pass out standing. I don’t think that I can carry you to the bed in this condition." As an afterthought, he added "Perhaps we can revisit this moment when we are sober."

Glorfindel insisted that he was sober as a judge, to which Erestor replied, "Sure you are. Either your tolerance for alcohol is lower than mine, or you had significantly more to drink." Erestor put his arm around Glorfindel, and the two carefully made their way toward the bedroom.

As sober as Glorfindel claimed to be, he stumbled. Erestor caught his weight, but wasn’t in good shape himself. Both lost their balance, and landed in a heap on the floor of the living area. 

"Get off of me," huffed Erestor.

Glorfindel shifted position some, allowing Erestor to scoot out from under him. For a couple of minutes, they sat on the floor looking at one another and considering the situation that they found themselves in. There was no way that Glorfindel was going anywhere under his own power, and he was too heavy for Erestor in his current condition. Using the couch as leverage, Erestor managed to get up. Slowly, and with many grunts and groans, he managed to help Glorfindel onto the couch. That is where he passed out. 

Erestor made it to his bed. After pulling off his boots, he lay down and didn’t wake till after breakfast. The first thing that he noticed was that he was fully clothed. Then he smelled the distinct aroma of liquor. He groaned with the realization that he had way too much to drink the night before. The only thing that he remembered was being teased, but he wasn’t clear what it had been about. 

Erestor sat up and started pulling off his clothes in preparation for a long bath. He had headed that way when he heard a pitiful moan. This stopped him in his tracks. Quietly, he tip toed to the door of the bedroom and peeked out. His eyes widened when he saw a mass of blond hair and body parts. Immediately, he closed and leaned against the door. What had he done last night?

Instead of dressing and confronting the situation, Erestor went to the bathroom and shut the door. He had no idea who was on his couch, other than that he was a big blond. He went ahead and took a bath, which proved to be slightly calming. Then he went back to the bedroom and pulled on a shirt and leggings before peeking out into the living area once more. The blonde was still there. Putting it off just a little longer sounded like a good idea, so he returned to his dressing table and combed his hair. Finally, the blond elf started moving around. Sighing, he rose and headed toward the couch.

Glorfindel woke and groaned. His head hurt. Instead of getting up, he closed his eyes against the sun and shuddered to think what he might have done the night before. Not often did he allow himself to become totally wasted, but obviously he had done just that. 

It wasn’t long before his large body began to protest from laying half on, and half off of the couch. He cracked his eyes and groaned again. The sun was entirely too bright. It was then that he realized he was on a couch that was not his own. When he sat up and looked around, he was more than a little surprised. He recognized the room as Erestor’s, but had no idea what he was doing there. 

Erestor walked out of his bedroom just as Glorfindel was getting up from the couch. Both elves looked at one another confused. 

Erestor was the first one to ask the question on both their minds. "Do you remember anything about last night, Glorfindel?"

Glorfindel shook his head. "Not a thing. From the pounding in my head, I am going to take a wild guess and say that I drank too much. What did we do?"

"I haven’t a clue." Erestor shrugged and looked worried. "When I woke up, I smelled like a still." With some effort, a vague recollection of being pressed against the wall returned to Erestor. He bit his lip and blinked.

"What is it?"

"I seem to remember being crushed against the wall. Um...do you think that we...?"

"No. I wouldn’t have forgotten had we done that." Glorfindel racked his brain. If he and Erestor had, he certainly wanted to remember it. "Besides, I am fully clothed, and that surely wouldn’t be the case if we..."

"I suppose you are right." In little more than a whisper, Erestor added, "It isn’t something that I would wish to forget either. You smell as good as I did when I woke up. Why don’t you take a bath? I’ll find something for you to wear till you get to your own quarters."

That sounded good to Glorfindel. He pulled his belt off and started walking toward the bathroom shedding clothes as he went. While he soaked, Erestor began picking clothes up from the floor. He had just picked the belt up when there was a knock at the door. Erestor draped it over the arm of a chair before answering.

"Lord Elrond," greeted Erestor. "What a surprise."

"You missed breakfast, so I brought you a tray." Lord Elrond wagged his eyebrows. "How did the walk with Glorfindel go last night? Did you enjoy the night sky?" 

The blank look on Erestor’s face told it all. Lord Elrond looked disappointed. "You don’t remember a thing from last night, do you?"

"I remember a little, but maybe you would like to fill me in while I am eating breakfast." Erestor replied. 

"After everyone reached agreement that you and Glorfindel are meant for one another, you and he went for a walk under the stars." With a wink, he continued. "What you did afterward, I can only guess."

Glorfindel hadn’t heard Lord Elrond’s arrival. He left the bath, dried off and slung a towel around his hips. He chuckled to think what Erestor could have found that would fit him. 

"What was that?" asked Lord Elrond.

//Hide Glorfindel! // Erestor tried to answer nonchalantly, but his face was panic stricken. "The wind probably just knocked something over."

"No, I don’t think so." Lord Elrond rose, and slowly made his way into the bedroom. 

Suddenly, Lord Elrond stopped short and started grinning like a fool. Standing in the middle of the bedroom, dressed in nothing but a towel, was Glorfindel. "I see the walk went well."

"Um, this isn’t what it looks like," sputtered Erestor.

"It looks like you have an almost naked elf in your bedroom, and that he spent the night here. Is that wrong?"

Glorfindel fidgeted and smiled weakly. "Not exactly."

Lord Elrond beamed. "I am so happy for you both! I just knew that you two were right for each other." Erestor got a big hug, but Glorfindel backed up. He was a little too naked to be hugged by the Lord of the Valley. "Don’t worry about work today. Enjoy each other’s company. I’m off to tell Lindir!"

"But we aren’t..." Before Erestor finished, Lord Elrond was out the door.

The elves stood staring at the door for a moment, dumbfounded. Then it occurred to Erestor that there was something much nicer to stare at. There was a big blonde in a little towel. His face became predatory.

"All of Imladris knows that you slept here by now." Erestor walked toward Glorfindel in a matter that had him back treading. Without warning or hesitation, he grabbed the towel and threw it aside. "Everyone is about to think that we are lovers, and I’ll be damned if I make a liar out of Lord Elrond."


	5. The Gift

When Erestor grabbed his towel away, Glorfindel’s first instinct was to cover himself. The second was to jump on Erestor, and have his way with him. The problem was that his feelings went beyond lust. He wasn’t sure at what point he had fallen in love, but he had. He wanted commitment, and wild, spontaneous and mind blowing sex afterward. 

"You don’t wish to make a liar out of Lord Elrond, but is that the only reason you are about to ravish me?" 

Erestor backed up. "No, it is not. Perhaps I don’t vocalize my feelings often enough. I am in love with you." Then he sighed in frustration. "I suppose the time isn’t right for this...again. I can’t believe it. First you are between my legs and nothing happened, and now you are in my bedroom nude, and nothing is going to happen. The Valar hate me. They really do."

Glorfindel’s head dropped and he sighed. "They hate us both. Do you really have something that I can wear back to my room, or shall I slip into yesterday’s clothes?"

"No, I have a robe, but you have to promise me something," said Erestor as he delved into the back of his wardrobe.

"What do you want me to promise this time?"

Erestor pulled out a rich looking robe and said, "This belongs to King Thranduil. He forgot and left it in a guest suite when he was here last. If you see Prince Legolas coming, turn around and come right back. I shouldn’t be loaning out his father’s clothes."

"Fine, you can come by my room later and pick it up." Glorfindel put the robe on and looked in the mirror. "Wet hair kind of ruins the effect. Thanks for the loan."

Glorfindel walked to the door and turned the knob. Before stepping into the corridor, he looked over his shoulder at Erestor. "When the time is right, we will know it. I am deeply in love with you, Erestor."

As soon as Lord Elrond told Lindir about the morning’s discovery, the minstrel began thinking of lyrics for a love song. That is what he was doing when he saw Glorfindel run by in kingly robes. Since Erestor was almost certainly alone, he changed course and made for his friend’s quarters.

Lindir cracked the door open and yelled, "Erestor? Are you here?"

"Come in." Erestor sounded and looked dejected. 

"Lord Elrond just told me that you and Glorfindel are lovers. You don’t seem very thrilled by it though." Lindir took Erestor’s hand and led him to sit down. "Tell me what went wrong."

Erestor pointed to the sky. "The Valar hate us. That is what went wrong. He was in my bed and between my legs the other night, and then in my bedroom in nothing but a little towel this morning. Nothing happened either time!"

"So, he wasn’t nude and between your legs this morning? That does take some of the fun out of it." Lindir patted Erestor’s knee. "Don’t worry. Tell me what happened, and I’ll see if this can be fixed."

By the tales end, Lindir was in tears from laughing. 

"It isn’t funny, Lindir."

Lindir snorted. "Not to you maybe, but it is hilarious to the rest of us. This is fixable, but do you want to bother? What do you really feel for him? Are you in love or lust?"

Erestor looked down at his hands. "I’ve fallen deeply in love with him. That is why there was no sex this morning. It didn’t feel right that our first time occur because of Lord Elrond’s big mouth. The moment has to be magical."

"Good. I have just one more question, and it involves that broken jewelry."

Later in the evening, there was an unexpected knock at Glorfindel’s door. When he answered, he found Erestor standing there in an elegant tunic over leggings of the darkest blue silk. He was a vision. 

"Come in. I didn’t expect anyone, so the place is a mess." It wasn’t really. Glorfindel was just a little nervous.

Erestor smiled and said, "Nonsense. I hoped that you would be agreeable to dining on your balcony this evening."

It surprised Glorfindel, but not in a bad way. "That would be nice. I will speak with one of the house elves. I’ll be right back."

Erestor stopped him. "There is no need. I took the liberty of requesting that our meal be delivered here." Then he gave Glorfindel a sheepish smile. "If you had said no, I was going to try and intercept it. I hope you don’t mind."

Glorfindel chuckled. "That would be quite a sight; the chief counselor following food trays all over Imladris in search of the right one. It is a good thing that I said yes."

Erestor chuckled. "Lindir saw you run down the hall in King Thranduil’s robe this morning. He thought it to be quite an impressive sight. He intends to work it into the next song or poem that he writes." Erestor cleared his throat nervously. "He also knows about the...accident...a few nights ago. I tried to exact his promise not to use it in one of his songs, but the best that I could do was an agreement to keep our identities out of it."

Dinner arrived before Glorfindel could ask how Lindir had learned of their misadventure. The main course was cioppino and fresh baked bread. Dessert was chocolate covered strawberries around a molten chocolate cake.

"I see that you have a fondness for chocolate, Erestor," remarked Glorfindel.

"I hope you like it. Chocolate is my vice...one of them anyway. In this instance, though, I requested a special menu and the head cook obliged. Chocolate is supposed to be an aphrodisiac." Erestor blushed. "She is the one who insisted that cioppino was appropriate for a romantic meal. Apparently some seafood has aphrodisiac qualities as well."

Glorfindel grinned. "You are in collusion with the cook to make me have romantic feelings for you?"

Erestor gave him a lopsided smile. "Actually, I hoped that you already had them. The meal was an effort to heighten them, if possible."

The food was exquisite, but Erestor was so nervous that he barely ate a bite. Finally, he could wait no longer. He took a deep steadying breath, and addressed Glorfindel. "The other night, you presented me with a gift. A piece of jewelry to replace what had been lost." Erestor rose and walked around the table. "This evening, I would like to present you with a gift."

Glorfindel looked at Erestor with a question in his eyes. Erestor shook his head and said, "Not here. Come with me." 

They walked outside, and much to Glorfindel’s surprise, up the hill where he loved to stargaze. 

"Sit down. I will be right back." Erestor walked over to a large boulder, and retrieved a small box. "Glorfindel, this may be the most beautiful place in all of Imladris, but that is not why we are here. I wanted to be outdoors where there are no impediments to the Valar’s sight. Although they seem to hate us at times...this morning is a good example...tonight I ask a favor. Tonight, I ask that they not meddle." He looked up and said, "Noninterference, just this once, would be appreciated."

Glorfindel looked around to make sure none of the Vala were hanging about. The coast seemed clear, but one could never know for sure. 

Erestor knelt beside Glorfindel and held out the box. "I don’t just want to replace a ruined piece of jewelry."

Glorfindel accepted the box and looked at Erestor intently. Before opening it, he traced the lines of Erestor’s face. "Tell me what is it that you do want, if not to replace my broken ring." 

"I love you with every fiber of my being. What do I want? I want you: body, mind and soul."

Glorfindel opened the box, and there on a bed of black velvet, was a mithril band to rival any he had ever seen. He looked into Erestor’s eyes and saw love reflected there. Only then did he take the ring out of the box. 

"Will you bind with me, Glorfindel? It is more than a simple marriage that I propose."

In that moment, Glorfindel allowed his true inner light to shine forth. Many things had been written of him that he modestly played off as fantasy. However, fantasy paled to the reality of the elf that was Glorfindel.

"I have never believed in half measures, Erestor. With all that I am, I love you. Yes, I will bind with you." Erestor placed the ring on Glorfindel’s finger, and was drawn into a slow and lazy kiss. 

When they broke apart, Glorfindel said, "I don’t have a ring to give you tonight. If you need the ring first, so be it. But this is the perfect place, and the right time. Bind with me tonight, Erestor." 

Erestor pushed Glorfindel onto the grass and lay atop his body. "I have enough bling. The ring is superfluous. Yes, I will bind with you, here and now."

Under the stars, in an intensely private and personal ceremony, Glorfindel and Erestor bound their souls for all eternity. As requested, the Valar watched but did not interfere except to bestow their blessing. Had Erestor known how literal they tended to be, he might have been more precise in his wording. 

Lorien jabbed Namo in the ribs. "I told you it would work. You should trust me more often."

Manwё sighed. "Love conquers all; even meddlesome Vala like you two."

"My work here is done," Lorien remarked smugly. Later, he would be surprised to hear Erestor requesting his aid. Apparently, Haldir was in need of his special touch.


End file.
